Point Of No Return
by SugarCoatedLotus31
Summary: Hinata is banished from her clan, and trains herself to become physically and emotionally stronger, never wanting to shed any more tears or emotions for anyone. What happens when a serial killer changes her point of view? Lemons coming! ItaxHina
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic! Sorry if I mess up on the characters' personalities. There will be more chapters if I get enough positive reviews. So, as others say, R&R!**

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><p>Hinata coughed into the empty darkness of the night. Coughing as if to try to end the eternal muteness of her life so far. She was exiled from her clan about 3 or 4 years ago, her father not thinking well enough of her strength. She could still recall each second of her excommunication. Each moment of grief and regret.<p>

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><p><em> It took place in the Hyuuga training grounds. Her father had pushed her to her limits. The sounds of failure echoing in the torturous dungeon. <em>

_ "Do it again, and better Hinata. You have been nothing but a shame to the Hyuuga name in which you hold, redeem yourself." _

_ Hinata only coughed in reply, and attempted to knock down her cousin again. Rushing against her opponent, she again focused each chakra-enforced punch at his pressure points. Neji dodged each pathetic try as if he weren't even trying. _

_ "Enough! Neji, you may go now. Hinata, you must stay." _

_ Neji bowed, and left. He had an idea of what was going to happen to his dear cousin afterwards. He never tried to stop it though. Out of fear? Out of cruelty? He looked as if he had no regrets as he coldly left the room, and Hinata's life. Trying to keep her balance, the young Hyuuga heiress made her way to her father. Taking slow steps, as if to delay her punishment. She was panting and trying think about what is to become of her. _

_ "I-I'm sorry father..." she said in such a heart-breaking sincere tone. _

_ "Sorry? Is that your excuse?" The tone was now dangerously furious. _

_ "N-no I ju-" She was cut off by a sudden slap. _

_ "I'm tired of this! Why must you be so frail and pathetic? Are you a Hyuuga?" _

_ "Y-yes!" _

_ "No, it is unacceptable! You are not fit enough to be a Hyuuga! We are banishing you from this clan. Leave at once." _

_ "But father!" _

_ "I am no longer your father! Leave!" _

_ "Fathe-" She stopped at mid-sentence, watching her father- or former father I should say- pull out a kunai knife. In one swift motion, Hiashi swung the knife across his ex-daughter's eyes, leaving her a vision of scarlet and regret. _

_ "You're not fit enough to hold the Hyuuga clan's eyes or name. Leave now." _

_ With her remaining vision, the girl dashed away from her father. After she arrived at what she thought would be a safe distance, she collapsed behind the hospital. The waters of melancholy were already streaming down her face, mixing with scarlet. She coughed and panted. After resting her physically and emotionally ached body, she thought about what was to become of her now. _

_ She couldn't go home, and she didn't want to burden her friends. She could live her life on the streets, but what about the rumors? Rumors spread pretty fast in Konoha. With nowhere to go and living in a trance of depression, she couldn't stay in Konoha anymore. It felt as if she has been banished from happiness. _

_ Hinata then thought about other people who have left the village. Would she become like the remaining Uchihas; would she become a criminal? At this point, Hinata wasn't sure what to do anymore. Her mind was fogged with her past and future. _**What do I do? I can't stay, but I can't leave though, Hinata asked herself.**

_ Sighing, she decided she had nothing to lose anymore, and with that decision, she walked past the village gates and into her new life living in the wilderness. The village guards asked her about her wounds, but Hinata just trudged on. Nothing was stopping her now. She didn't feel sorry for the people she was leaving behind because she felt as if they didn't need her. Her father certainly didn't need her. _**Nobody will care if I'm gone anyway, Hinata expected.**

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><p>She remembered that day so clearly. She made a vow to herself: never would she cry or care for anyone anymore. That day was the day she cut a line through the Konoha leaf symbol on her forehead protector. No more hiding in fear, Hinata wanted to be a stronger, more stable person. Every empty day after her banishment consisted either of commencing in rough training or roaming throughout the country.<p>

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><p>Currently, Hinata was between activities. She sat against a hollow tree, thinking about her life. Suddenly, a faint rustle was heard. She immediately got into her battle stance. She heard whispering.<p>

"Isn't that the Hyuuga heiress?" a low voice whispered.

"No, I heard the title was given to her younger sister," a deep voice said.

"What a shame. Wait," the first voice whispered, "look at her forehead protector on her neck."

"A line is cut through it. She must've left her village, I don't blame her though. Her life sounds pretty unpleasant."

The two figures landed a distance away from the girl and removed their hats. Hinata could sense their chakra, and it seemed pretty scary. Nevertheless, she had no fear, after all, she had nothing to lose that she wanted.

"Who's there?" Hinata asked in a firm voice.

"Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha, at your service," Kisame declared.

Hinata quickly threw a kunai knife with an explosive tag on it towards the sky, followed by a shuriken that was aimed directly at the duo. Kisame laughed at her actions.

"Hah! You think a simple technique like that will work on us?"

Kisame and Itachi easily dodged the shuriken, simply by stepping to their right. Hinata snapped her fingers and a powerful explosion erupted next to the ground the two Akatsuki members were standing on. The blast could have easily swept away any of Deidara's creations. It mildly injured Kisame and Itachi, leaving their cloaks a bit tattered.

"Impressive," Itachi commented "you enforced the explosive tag with a generous amount of chakra that could be triggered to explode at your will, and used the shuriken as a diversion."

"This girl might be useful to the Akatsuki, I wonder why they made her younger sister heiress instead of her."

"Shall I end this battle?"

Itachi activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, and Hinata stared right at it. There was a few moments of silence before Hinata finally spoke up.

"... Is something supposed to happen?" Hinata asked, truly confused.

"Oh noooo, just 72 hours of seemingly-eternal torture that was supposed to have affected you by now," Kisame said with a large hint of sarcasm.

Ignoring Kisame's remark, Itachi answered "Mangekyou Sharingan. Why are you not effected by it?"

"Eye techniques? Well I'm blind, does that help?" Hinata responded dryly.

** She's blind? Amazing, her movements act as if she can see perfectly well. I just thought her eyes were just like that because of the Byakugan. Seems like she doesn't have the Byakugan anymore, Itachi thought. **

Itachi's thoughts were interrupted as Hinata suddenly broke out in a horrible coughing fit. Hinata kneeled down, still coughing. She tried her best to stand up again, but failed. She was starting to cough up blood now. The two Akatsuki members almost felt sorry for her pain caused by this sudden outbreak. She fell unconscious. Seizing this opportunity, Itachi lifted her body in his arms.

"What are you doing?" the shark-like man questioned.

"Bringing her to the base. She seems to be of use to our leader, and it's better than coming back empty-handed," the Uchiha replied blankly.

"Pfft, whatever you say, your highness," Kisame responded with ridicule of the Uchiha's reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! **

**This one is longer than the last one. **

**Things will start heating up here. **

**Remember to review! **

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><p>Itachi and Kisame were on their way to the base, with Itachi still carrying Hinata's weak body. A few times they rested, just to look at the full moon that night. Itachi noticed how soft and long Hinata's hair was, how her creamy skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. He couldn't help but sneak a peek at her beauty, as long as his partner wasn't watching.<p>

Itachi had heard Hinata moan, cough, and then he saw her go back to sleep. **How adorable. I'd be damned if that shark could hear my thoughts. **He kept leaping on the tree branches towards the Akatsuki base, purposely dragging behind Kisame. He was starting to have flashbacks inside his mind about the memories of him and his beloved younger brother. He sighed, there was no turning back now.

Hinata, on the other hand, was starting to regain consciousness. She didn't bother to open her eyes, as she would see the same darkness as she would with her eyes closed. She took note of her surroundings. **What happened? Oh yeah, damn tuberculosis. The air is still cold, it must be night. How long have I been out? Am I being carried? **She was confused, but she felt so warm and secure in the arms of the person she was being carried by. It reminded her of the feeling that she got when Naruto had her in his arms.

The blind girl never lost respect for Naruto, but she lost her love for him. He never tried to look for her, though, when she left the village, he was always after Sasuke. Just like Ino and Sakura. Hinata assumed after a few months of her banishment that Naruto was homosexual. After all, he never did anything about her crush on him before and she had seen him kiss Sasuke once.

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><p>Hinata began to go to sleep after a few hours, not wanting to think of her past anymore. After a few hours, the three arrived at their destination. Hinata wasn't awake yet, and wasn't aware of her location as she slept without dreams. Kisame banged three times loudly on the door to the base. After a few minutes he just kicked it down, wanting to get out of the dark wasteland.<p>

"Damn it! That's like the FIFTH time that's happened this month! You better fix it, because I am NOT paying for someone to fix it! We shouldn't even be revealing our location to get someone to fix a damn door! We're a freaking evil organization with hideout that's supposed to be a SECRET!" After that, Kakuzu just started muttering to himself about his idiot comrades.

"Really Kisame-san, I was just about to answer it too, hmm..." Deidara said, shaking his head in disapproval of the shark's acts.

"Whatever, where's the leader, Konan?" Kisame asked, irritated by his team-mates.

"What, am I supposed to know where he is every minute of the day? Am I some sorta Pein-tracking device? He's in the meeting room. You better not knock down the door to that room." Konan responded, annoyed by his question.

"Damn, everyone is a bitch today. Who's the chick?" Hidan asked, wondering if Itachi was some sort of rapist and the girl was his newest victim he decided to bring home.

Itachi, disregarding Hidan's question, escorted Hinata and Kisame to the meeting room. They didn't bother knocking since the door was already open. The two gazed at Pein, as he seemed to be grousing about his faulty organization making their progress undo itself.

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><p>"Leader-sama." Itachi said in his usual monotone.<p>

"Itachi, what the heck is with the chick?" Pein asked, having the same thoughts as Hidan had.

"_Blind_ chick." Kisame added.

"Okay... So what's with the blind chick?" Pein asked again, still confused.

"It's the Hyuuga's former heiress. She apparently left her village. You said you wanted more humans in this organization, probably in hopes of making more progress." Itachi stated.

"Oh yeah," Pein said, remembering the time when Itachi tried to recruit a "talented" weasel, "so what makes her qualified to be in the Akatsuki?"

"She has a surplus amount of chakra, and good control of it. She is quite creative with weapons and accurate for a 'blind chick'. And she's also immune to my Mangekyou Sharingan. She's more proficient than the weasel. Her weakness seems to be a major case of tuberculosis."

"I see. She may actually be a worthwhile addition to this hopeless, flawed, idiotic, irritating, progress delaying..." Pein rambled on.

"Well anyways, you'll be in full custody of this girl since you're the one who found her. You'll be in charge of training, helping her around the base, aiding her in battle, and basically making sure she doesn't die." Pein informed him.

"She'll occupy the room to the right of you that nobody seemed to want to move into for reasons unidentified." Pein added.

"Yes, Pein-sama." Itachi replied, inclined to follow his instructions.

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><p>By the time Hinata had awoken, she was lying down on the bed of her new room. <strong>Where the heck am I? There's no wind or breeze, seems to be room temperature. I'm inside of a room somewhere. Maybe I'm at the Akatsuki base? <strong>She got up, and almost lost balance, not fully recovered from her earlier coughing fit. She felt better than before, though. Her wounds from living in the wild have been bandaged. **Someone must've healed me or something... **

"Sleep well?" Itachi asked from the doorway. He was passing by in the hall when he noticed she had awaken.

"Where am I?" Hinata asked, bewildered by her surroundings.

"Akatsuki base. I am to be your guardian from now on." Itachi informed.

It was at that moment that she realized she was wearing something over the short black kimono that she was wearing in the forest. It was longer and the zipper was open all the way, revealing the kimono she wore underneath. Comprehending the fact that she's probably been accepted into the Akatsuki, she began to wonder where the kitchen was. Hinata was hungry, and she might as well make herself at home here.

"So, where's the kitchen then, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked with a bit of sarcasm when she called him "Itachi-sama".

Remembering that she was blind, Itachi grabbed her hand and gently led her to the kitchen. Hinata almost blushed from the sudden contact. When they arrived after a few twists and turns, he let go of her hand, opened the fridge, got an apple, and gave it to Hinata.

"It's an apple." Itachi stated, pointing out the obvious.

"Arigato, Itachi-sama." Hinata said as she bit into her apple with no hesitation.

Itachi noted how trusting the blind girl was. He watched as she ate into her apple, waiting for her to finish. Suddenly, he became aware of the fact that he didn't know her name yet. He might as well know her name if he was to be her guardian.

"What's your name?" Itachi asked.

"Hinata. Just Hinata," she replied, taking another bite of her apple. She liked to take her time when eating.

"I thought you were the former heiress of the Hyuuga clan."

"I was banished and blinded by my ex-father. Never really liked it there anyway," Hinata responded.

**That explains why she's blind and why the title of heiress was given to her younger sister. **Itachi felt pity for her. The way she left the village was horrible; it was like she was forced out. Itachi wondered why Hinata was so open with him about her past. People usually found out about his past by rumors or asking around.

Hinata finished her apple, and threw the core into a trash bin ten steps to the right of her with perfect accuracy. Itachi was baffled by this. She's blind and in a new, unexplored environment, and yet she didn't miss a shot into the trash can.

"Either that just made it perfectly in the trash can, I threw it into the sink, or I'm sorry and I'll pick it up right away," Hinata stated, not knowing where exactly the remains of her apple landed.

"It made it into the trash can," Itachi answered, still wondering about how she did that.

"I must be pretty lucky then," Hinata said, not thinking much of the toss.

"Well anyways, we will start training tomorrow at about 6:00 am," Itachi declared, shaking off his confusion, "I'll come wake you up."

"Understood, Itachi-sama," Hinata replied, getting used to calling him Itachi-sama.

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><p>As expected, Itachi led Hinata back to her room. Sooner or later, she would have to learn her way around the Akatsuki's hideout. Hinata didn't mind being led by Itachi though. Her entire life she had been blind (figuratively), and it felt nice to finally be helped after struggling for so long. Hinata felt like she could depend on Itachi, but she knew that she couldn't be helped all the time. She just relished each moment of her contact with Itachi, as if each moment was a dying flower.<p>

Hinata sighed. It seemed like she was going to be breaking her vow pretty soon. She reminded herself that young love dies young. Is it wrong to enjoy the small burst of bliss, though? Did love have to be eternal just to enjoy it?

Itachi heard Hinata sigh. **Is she tired of being led around? Or maybe I was too straightforward earlier and she's thinking about her past now. **The Uchiha took pleasure in each brief exposure to each other. He wanted more of it, but wanted Hinata to feel as comfortable as possible. He desired to protect Hinata, she was just so frail and innocent. Itachi wanted to heal Hinata of her previous lifestyle. He was starting to fall in love with her.

Itachi frowned. He didn't want to fall in love. He would just end up leaving her alone and heartbroken if he confessed. What was the point of having a small period of pleasure, followed by an era of melancholy?

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><p>After they made it to Hinata's room, Itachi just left her without saying a word. Hinata didn't really expect him to say anything though, as they weren't exactly close friends. She felt happy, although she didn't show it. The Akatsuki were probably the nicest people in her life, they gave her shelter, food, protection, and company. It was kind of ironic how the people who were supposed to be her enemies were nicer than her allies.<p>

Hinata felt her way around her room. The door was six steps directly to the left of her bed. Four steps to the right of her bed was a large window. She opened the window, letting in the light air into her room. She grew fond of the coldness since she was raised coldly. Just like how she was raised in the dark, she got attached to the dark, and now she's forced to live in it.

Besides the window and bed, her room was completely barren. It was sorta funny how her room was exactly like her life had been before she left Konoha. Except now, she was in a better place than Konoha, a place where she could be accepted. It felt sorta weird to feel happy about being banished. After Hinata had gotten to know her room better, she went to sleep in her bed. This time she actually dreamed for once, but it wasn't a good dream.

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><p>In her dream, she was re-living her banishment. Each moment of pain and vulnerability seemed as real as it did 4 years ago. Hinata's heart was breaking as much in her dream as much as it did before. She was crying in her sleep.<p>

When Itachi went to fetch Hinata for their first training session, he saw her shedding tears into her pillow. At that moment, there was a pain in his heart. Her tears were the saddest thing he ever saw. After a few minutes, he just watched her, feeling responsible for her weeping for bringing up her banishment the night before.

Itachi could relate to her pain. On the night of the Uchiha massacre, he had tears soaking his face. He was never close to any of his family members, but he couldn't bring himself to kill his baby brother. Itachi practically raised Sasuke since his father didn't pay attention to Sasuke. He then decided to wake her up from her nightmare.

"Hinata," Itachi whispered, gently nudging her in hopes of her escaping her horrible pain.

Hinata jolted up, tears still developing, and shrieked out, "No!"

She realized that she was back to reality, and had probably woken up everyone else in the Akatsuki base. Sensing Itachi next to her, she also realized that he had probably seen her in her moment of weakness, something she vowed to never do. She tried to wipe her tears away, but they just kept streaming down her face.

"I-I'm sorry..." Hinata murmured, saying it more to herself than to Itachi.

"You did nothing wrong," Itachi said in a gentle voice, stroking Hinata's soft hair to try to calm her down.

She buried her face into Itachi's chest, not caring about her vow to herself anymore. With this decision, there was no turning back now. All she wanted was to be loved, something she never got when she was young. All she got from her family was hatred and the sting of rejection.

Itachi continued to stroke her hair, wanting Hinata's pain to end. **Is this what it's like to be a guardian? Only wanting to protect the one you're in custody of, or am I really falling for her...? **

"Itachi-sama..." Hinata whispered to herself.

All her troubles seemed to go away when she was being held by Itachi. She cherished his affection, because she knew that soon she'll be back to where she started. Alone, miserable, and wanting to end her life. Maybe when the time came, she would think twice before bringing death upon herself.

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><p>Suddenly, Hidan barged into the room yelling "What the fuuuuuuuuck?", his tone changing from a loud complaint to a tone of someone completely stupefied from seeing them, thinking the Uchiha was raping his victim. At first he was going to say 'What the fuck is with all this damn noise in the morning?', but now he was just wondering 'What the fuck?'.<p>

There was a moment of awkward silence. Nobody seemed to know what to say.

"... Well I'll just leave you two alone so that you two can continue screwing each other..." Hidan said as he slowly backed away from the room, obviously getting the wrong idea.

In the distance they heard heard Hidan yell "Dude! They were TOTALLY fucking just a few minutes ago!" to which Kakuzu replied, "Shut up! I'm trying to get back to sleep you god damned bastard!"

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><p><strong>[EDITED: 623/2013 for format change and minor issues.]**


	3. Chapter 3

**Keep on reviewing! **

**It sucks looking at all the people adding my story to their subscriptions or favorites, but having only 4 reviews. **

**What's up with that?**

** Anyways, if you're smart then you'll be able to catch the symbolism in this chapter. Not just the obvious ones, too.**

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><p>After Hidan left, Hinata and Itachi released their embrace, slightly embarrassed. Hinata had calmed down after their little episode a moment ago. She found the insolent fool kind of funny. Soon, Hinata would have to meet all the other members of the Akatsuki. She wondered if there were any other girls in this group.<p>

"Who was he?" Hinata questioned, giggling a little.

"Hidan... He's pretty loud and annoying. Too bad he's immortal." Itachi explained, wanting to kill Hidan the next time he sees him.

**Damn it, why did he have to be immortal... **

"Well, we might as well eat breakfast now. We'll start our training session after we eat." Itachi said, seeing that the sun has already risen high into the sky from a glance at Hinata's window.

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><p>The two rose from their spots. Hinata, getting used to the procedure, softly clutched onto the sleeve of Itachi's cloak as they made their way into the kitchen. Hinata counted the steps and took note of the turns that they made on the way to the kitchen, that way she didn't always have to burden him when she was hungry. <strong>14 steps, take a right, then 10 steps, make another right, 8 steps, turn left, then 5 steps, left again, 18 steps, take a right. No wait, that was a left. Wait, we turned again. Dang, this is confusing. Even if I could see, I'd probably still get lost in this labyrinth of a hideout. <strong>

After the two reached the kitchen, there was a great ruckus that was even louder than Hinata's scream when she woke up. All the members of the Akatsuki had gathered in the kitchen, much to Itachi's disappointment, and were quarreling with each other. The only one that seemed to be missing was Zetsu.

"What do you mean Zetsu devoured everything? THAT WAS ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST US A MONTH! All that money, GONE TO WASTE!" Kakuzu cried out, ready to murder everyone.

"It's not MY fucking fault there's no food, you cheap-ass! Blame that venus fly trap! Where the hell is that overgrown weed anyway?" Hidan yelled, tired of his partner's complaints.

"Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless..." Pein moaned to himself.

"Who needs food anyway? Food only lasts for so long, then it's gone." Sasori said, with a bored expression.

"WE need food, dammit! Who cares if it only lasts for a moment? Life is about the fleeting moments that we cherish! Art is an explosion, un!" Deidara argued back.

"Ughh... My head hurts..." Konan complained, her head hurting from all the loud noise at such an early hour.

"No food? I'll SLAUGHTER YOU ALL!" Kisame bellowed, taking out Samehada.

Itachi glared at the chaotic scene happening before him. Hinata was astonished at their behavior in the morning. She was also a bit disappointed. She was hoping to get to know the criminals that make up the Akatsuki. You know, make a few friends to pass the time while she waited for her death.

"Well, good morning to you guys..." Hinata said, in an attempt to make some kind of impression on her comrades.

The arguing stopped for a second, and they all stared at their newest member. 'What's so freaking good about it?' they all simultaneously thought. Then after that second of acknowledgment of their newest member, they all went back to whatever they were doing before.

"That was probably the longest moment of acknowledgment I've ever gotten in my life." Hinata stated, to nobody in particular.

Itachi was amused by Hinata's humor. However, that remark didn't satisfy his hunger.

"Let's go eat out instead." Itachi suggested.

"Sure." Hinata said, in agreement adding 'it's not like we're S-rank missing nin wanted by every village in the world' in her head.

"We should go to a cafe." Itachi recommended, meaning that they will be going to a cafe.

"As you wish, Itachi-sama." Hinata said with great enthusiasm.

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><p>The two made their way out of the base with less turns than Hinata expected. In fact, there were no turns at all. They stepped into the long, damp grass, feeling the crisp morning air brush against their faces. The sun's streams of gold adorned the cool air. Hinata eased her grip on Itachi's cloak, feeling in her own element. She now only had to keep track of her guide's distinctive and trees' faint chakra. Hinata felt more freedom outside.<p>

"It feels like spring, but it's fall, right?" Hinata observed, wondering if she kept track of the seasons well.

"Yes, it's fall." Itachi answered back.

The two kept a moderate pace, walking only forward. It then came to Hinata that she had no idea where they were actually going. Where can they go, anyways?

"... Where the heck are we going?" Hinata asked.

"Konoha. It's the closest village to our base." Itachi answered.

"Aren't we supposed to be Konoha's most feared enemy: the Akatsuki?" Hinata responded, confused why they would be going to a village that they defected from.

"Yes, that's why they'll give us good service. Kisame and I went to a tea shop there once, the waiters were very polite." Itachi told her.

**"**That makes sense. It's not like they'll remember us, anyways." Hinata said, thinking the exact opposite.

"Yeah, Sasuke walked right past me when we were at the tea shop." Itachi replied, backing up Hinata's theory.

"..."

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><p>After a few minutes, they arrived at the gates of Konoha. The guards simply waved to Itachi and Hinata as they passed by. Hinata was surprised that they didn't react much to the Akatsuki entering Konoha. They reacted more when Hinata left Konoha, even though they probably thought that she was just going on a mission.<p>

"Wait... Wasn't that the Akatsuki?" the first guard noticed.

"Get it TOGETHER, man!" the second guard said, shaking the first guard.

"You've been obsessing about the Akatsuki ever since you've been informed of them a week ago! At first, I didn't do anything because you were just the new guy, but now it's just getting ridiculous!"

"But..."

The second guard slapped the first guard, trying to help him get over his obsession.

"Repeat after me, 'That was not the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki are probably not going to visit for a long time'." the second guard commanded.

"That was not the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki are probably not going to visit for a long time." the second guard parroted.

"Good, now get back to your post, maggot!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

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><p>Hinata, once again, held onto Itachi's cloak in order to not get lost in the bustling streets of Konoha. It was amazing how nobody recognized them at all. <strong>Do they even know who the Akatsuki are? <strong>The two strode together as they made it into the cafe that Itachi picked out. It wasn't a particularly busy day at the cafe, so they were led to their seats right away. Instantly, they were given their menus. Hinata and Itachi looked over their menus.

After a few minutes, Hinata put down hers and sarcastically said, "You know, I can't really SEE anything that I want. Would you order for me, Itachi-sama?"

"Is onigiri fine?"

"Sure."

Itachi put down his menu. A young, brunette-haired man with a dark green apron lazily made his way towards their table.

"Ready to freaking order?" the man asked, with a voice implying that he's only working at the cafe because it's the family business and he's bored with it.

"Yes, we'll have two onigiri."

**"**And less attitude..." Hinata added.

"Coming right up." he said with fake enthusiasm, scribbling down the orders, and heading back to where he came from.

It occurred to Hinata that she didn't know how they would pay. She didn't have any money, and it was unknown Itachi had any either. Some guy she heard this morning was complaining about money. Did the Akatsuki even pay their employees, or was it just a volunteer job?

"You know, I have no idea how we're gonna pay. Do you happen to have money?" Hinata asked.

"Nope. The Akatsuki is a non-profit organization." Itachi answered back in the monotone he's been using since the beginning of their journey to Konoha.

"How are we gonna pay, then?" Hinata questioned with curiosity.

"We don't. " Itachi explained.

From the kitchen, the two heard a large crash and some yelling.

"I'm sick of this business! I wanna be a DANCE STAR!" they heard their waiter declare.

"We've been over this... You FAIL at dancing! This business is the only job you'll ever get in your life!" an older voice said, presumably for the millionth time.

"No! You don't know NOTHING 'bout me! I am SO out of here!" the waiter exclaimed, stomping out of the cafe.

Before he slammed the door to the cafe, he yelled out "Sayonara, BITCHES!"

Itachi and Hinata just sat there, shocked by the tantrum that just happened. They decided to just act as if nothing happened.

"... Nice weather today, huh?" Hinata said, erasing the waiter's tantrum from her mind.

"Yup. I heard it'll be raining next week." Itachi stated, trying to move the conversation along.

A middle-aged man wearing a black apron came rushing to the two's table. He held a tray with two plates of onigiri, each plate with their own set of chopsticks, and two cups of orange juice

"I'm so sorry about my son! He's got this crazy notion to become a dancer. Here's two cups of orange juice, on the house." the man said, pleading for forgiveness.

"..."

Itachi icily stared at the man, causing the man to panic.

"You know what? The whole meal is free! Just for the heck of it. I hope you and your lovely partner will enjoy." the man added, wanting to escape the gaze of Itachi's eyes.

"Arigato!" Hinata cheerfully said with a smile, wanting to end the poor man's suffering.

The man nervously chuckled, and left their table. He was thanking goodness that he got out of that situation alive. Hinata, though, was amused at what had just happened.

"Is this how you pay for your meals? You're so smooth, Itachi-sama." Hinata commented with a small laugh as two began eating their free meal.

* * *

><p>After 10 minutes, they finished and left the cafe, satisfied with their breakfast. They way back to the Akatsuki base was the same as the trip there. Halfway through the trip, they stopped.<p>

"We'll have our training session here. Every session will take place somewhere different, since you'll need to be able to get used to any environment in combat." Itachi told Hinata.

"Each session will focus on a different element. This session will be focusing on your surroundings. Use it to your advantage, and do not be bound by the mere impression of things."

"Understood, Itachi-sama!" Hinata said.

"Your first assignment will be a one-on-one fight with our little follower."

"You can come out now, Neji," Hinata called out.

* * *

><p>Neji revealed himself, amazed that they knew he was stalking them the entire time. He appeared to be the only person in Konoha that recognized his village's arch-rival. The main reason he followed, though, was because he recognized Hinata. He was shocked that she was eating with one of the Akatsuki members, wearing one of their cloaks, and had a slash through her forehead protector. More so, she didn't look like she was forced to join at all.<p>

"Why, Hinata? Why?" Neji questioned, showing more emotion in his voice than Hinata has ever seen from him.

"Why not?" Hinata coldly replied, not even facing Neji's direction.

"Why care now? You never cared before. You knew what was going to happen to me, or you had an idea of what was going to happen. You never tried to stop it, or help me." Hinata added.

Hinata then suddenly hurled multiple chakra-coated shuriken in Neji's direction.

Neji barely dodged the shurikens, leaving his right leg deeply cut with a dark crimson oozing out.

"You want to fight? Let's fight, then," Neji declared, his temper rising, activating his Byakugan.

He leaped at Hinata, attacking her with a barrage of Gentle Fist-styled blows that targeted her chakra points. Hinata quickly blocked every one of his strikes. **She's gotten better. She wasn't the same person as she was that day... **Neji couldn't help but feel proud of his former cousin, but he couldn't lose. This was his chance to bring back Hinata, to show her the light, and he was not going to hold back.

"Aren't you the one who always went on about how destiny couldn't be changed? How failures would always be failures?" Hinata said, taunting him.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong..." Neji admitted.

He successfully aimed three punches towards Hinata's stomach, causing her to collapse. She engaged in another coughing fit, making Neji hesitate before resuming their battle. She unexpectedly did a roundhouse kick, still coughing, causing Neji to fly a few feet backwards.

"Did you not listen to Itachi-sama's speech earlier? 'Do not be bound by the mere impression of things.' It seems you've softened over the time I was gone." Hinata claimed.

**'Itachi-sama?' Neji thought, wondering why she held this Itachi person with such high respect.**

"Hinata, please. Come back to Konoha, we'll forgive you. It's not too late," Neji begged.

"Maybe I don't want to be saved from this 'darkness'. This darkness saved me from the light. The light that blinded me, the light that never shined on me. Why would I want to return to that? It _is _too late, Neji. I'm at the point of no return." Hinata told him, trying to persuade him that she doesn't want go back to her old lifestyle.

"It was the light that influenced me. Not the dark, not brainwash."

Neji began to back Hinata against a tree. If he couldn't convince her to come back, he'll just have to bring her back by force. At that moment, it appeared that Neji has once again gained the upper hand, until Hinata bounced off the trunk, landing at the Byakugan's blind spot. She pinned him against the tree by his neck, restricting his breathing.

"'No, it is unacceptable! You are not fit enough to be a Hyuuga! We are banishing you from this clan. Leave at once!' he said. You remember, don't you? You were listening to every word. He got out a kunai knife, and slashed my eyesight away, saying that I didn't deserve the Hyuga clan's surname or eyes." Hinata slowly described, using hand motions.

**He blinded you that day? So that's why you didn't activate your Byakugan. You're so good at combat, though. **

Hinata loosened her grip on Neji's throat. Neji switched off his Byakugan.

"I have no grudge against you, now go. Go remind the Hidden Leaf Village of my existence. This is good-bye, Neji," Hinata concluded, leaving Neji gasping for air on the ground.

* * *

><p>Neji watched as Hinata got farther and farther away, walking with a tall man that he assumed to be Itachi. She was so close, just out of reach, but he couldn't get to her. He tried to stand up, but he just couldn't. All he could do was choke out her name, unknown if she could even hear him anymore. <strong>Hinata... <strong>He was going to miss her gentle aura, her loving personality, the way her eyes shined with her emotions. This feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed Neji.

**"**Hinata... I love you, Hinata!" Neji shouted, his words echoing throughout the forest.

Hinata heard her former cousin's confession, but she just ignored it. Itachi had also heard Neji's declaration of his love for her. He felt more remorse than Hinata did, though he never mentioned it as they continued on. **I'm sorry, Neji. She's not coming back with you. **Itachi knew that Hinata's mind was made, and that she's truly at the point of no return. He himself, was at that same point too. At the same time, a part of him said that it wasn't too late.

Itachi had watched the entire fight and listened to their conversation. He certainly learned a lot about Hinata during the fight. **My god, she's bad-ass...** Her moves were well-coordinated and the way she used the trees around her was clever. He also liked the fact that she didn't unnecessarily assassinate her opponents, unlike Kisame. Needless to say, Hinata got an A+ on her first assignment.

The two walked on, never looking back. Hinata didn't regret anything that had just happened, while Neji regretted his entire life. At that moment, Neji swore on the Will of Fire that he would bring Hinata back to Konoha, and to protect her with his life. **'Is this how Naruto feels?' Neji thought, understanding his suffering. 'I'm beginning to transform into Sasuke more and more each day.' Hinata amusingly thought.**

* * *

><p><strong>[EDITED: 623/2013 for formatting and minor issues.]**


	4. Chapter 4

Neji sat still at his spot, too traumatized by what had just happened to do anything. **Did I just confess my love to Hinata?** He was confused and heartbroken. Neji watched the sun set, stealing the light from him. After darkness engulfed the sun, Neji finally got up and ran towards Konoha. He needed to remind everyone that Hinata existed, as she told him to do so. He couldn't let Hinata disappear from his life, nor could he let her disappear from the village's history.

He ran until he reached the Hokage's office, slamming the door open. At the time, Tsunade was finally about to do her overdue paperwork since Shizune had always insisted that she finish it. Neji's face was drenched, and that meant something was really wrong. Tsunade immediately put down her pen. Shizune slapped her forehead. **Damn it!**

"Neji, what's happened?" Tsunade urgently asked.

"Tsunade-sama, it's Hinata... She joined the Akatsuki!" Neji reported, panting.

"_What?_" Tsunade yelled out in disbelief.

"When did this happen? How do you know?" Tsunade interrogated.

"Probably the day she got banished, I'm guessing. She's been gone from Konoha for four years now... I saw her in a cafe here with a man named Itachi who she calls 'Itachi-sama', wearing one of the Akatsuki cloaks and her forehead protector's symbol was slashed through. Her hair has grown out, and her voice was lively and she was laughing, smiling, and just plain happy. I followed them and they knew I was following them. Hinata attacked me. During the fight... her voice seemed dead. She was neither smiling nor frowning. When I requested her return, she refused, saying she's at the 'point of no return' and it was too late." Neji explained in a single breath.

**'Hinata called him Itachi-sama? And she was laughing around him?' Shizune thought.**

"She's been gone for four years? And I wasn't told? And_ nobody_ did anything about two Akatsuki members in Konoha?" Tsunade exclaimed.

"Yes, Hiashi banished her from the clan, and she must have left the village later. She told me she was blinded by him that day..." Neji told Tsunade.

"That's horrible! Why has nobody reacted to her disappearance?" Tsunade cried out, slamming her hand on her desk.

"I guess nobody noticed... She's so strong now, Tsunade-sama. I couldn't beat her, and she spared my life..." Neji stated, looking down.

"What do we do?" Neji hopelessly questioned.

"Honestly, I don't know. That's three S-rank missing criminals from this village now. All three are at this 'point of no return'..." the Hokage granted.

"But we can't do nothing! We can't just let her vanish from our minds and hearts!" Neji fiercely argued.

"Calm down, Neji. I know that. It's just that times are tough right now, and we can't always be sending our ninja away. How much do you want to bring her back?" Tsunade strictly asked.

"A lot. I would die if that meant bringing Hinata back to Konoha. I...I-I..." Neji stuttered, trying to find the right words.

"Out with it, boy." Tsunade ordered.

"I love her!" Neji declared for the second time that day, slightly blushing from having people who actually acknowledged his confession.

"I don't know when, or how, but I'm in love with her! I even told her as she left me on the ground, gasping to breathe, and she ignored my confession, but I love her! Nothing is going to extinguish my love for her."

"I'm giving you one year to bring her back, starting at midnight. In one year today, before midnight, you can't bring her back, then you have to give up." the Hokage challenged.

"Arigato, Tsunade-sama." Neji thanked her, bowing down.

"Now go get some sleep, boy. You look like hell. Do something about your leg, too. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone in Konoha you got beat up by a girl that dumped you. I don't know about Shizune, though..." Tsunade said, directing her attention to her assistant.

Shizune solemnly promised that she wouldn't tell a single soul about the matter. Neji, satisfied, left the Hokage's office, thinking about how he'll devise a plan to bring back his love. **... Wait, she won't tell anyone in Konoha? **Shizune, once again, urged Tsunade to get back to her paperwork. Tsunade yawned, saying that she 'lost her focus'. When Neji was out of hearing range, she ordered Shizune to remind her to inform Orochimaru and Jiraiya that Neji 'just got beat up by a girl that dumped him', since technically, they weren't in Konoha because Orochimaru was in who-knows-where and Jiraiya was in the hot springs just outside of Konoha, "just resting".

"Tsunade-sama, you're such a gossip..." Shizune stated with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hinata and Itachi had arrived at the Akatsuki base before sunset. Deidara, Hidan, and Kisame gathered around the two when they entered. Hidan and Kisame were snickering, telling Deidara to go 'say it'. Hidan called him a pussy before Deidara approached Hinata and Itachi.<p>

"Hey, 'Itachi-sama', un..." Deidara greeted, mimicking Hinata, trying to hold in his burst out with laughter.

"Dude! I can't do it, un!" Deidara whispered to Hidan.

"Just go do it, do you have a dick or not?" Hidan insisted.

"Fine, un!" the blonde said, as he turned back to Itachi.

"... So, how was your blind date, hmm?" Deidara finally said, unable to stifle his laughter.

The three burst out laughing, falling to the floor.

"Oh my Jashin! He actually fucking said it!" Hidan yelled, still laughing.

"My side's hurting!" Kisame said as he clutched his stomach, still rolling on the floor laughing.

"I'm SO gonna tell that bitch Konan! Fucking dumbass!" Hidan muttered, tired from laughing so hard.

Hinata herself started giggling at what had just happened, and they were making fun of her. You have to admit, it _was _funny. Living with the Akatsuki had brightened her mood and brought her out of her dark depression. They always made her laugh after she got sad.

"Even the blind chick is laughing! You really need to lighten up, Itachi-san, un." Deidara said as he finally stood up.

The other two began to rise, too.

"My name's Hinata, just Hinata. Nice to meet you." Hinata introduced, smiling warmly.

"Hidan, no shit."

"Deidara, un."

"And you're Kisame Hoshigaki if I remember correctly." Hinata guessed, pointing at Kisame.

"Yup." Kisame confirmed, nodding his head.

"Well see you guys around, I guess." Hinata said as she waved goodbye, nudging to Itachi to take her to her room.

"See ya." Hidan, Deidara, and Kisame all said at once.

Although Hinata couldn't see it, the three fools began waving back as she left. Hinata and Itachi walked out of the scene, heading towards Hinata's room, with Hinata holding onto Itachi's cloak once again.

"They're so stupid..." Hinata whispered as they exited.

"Welcome to my world." Itachi dryly muttered.

* * *

><p>As usual, Itachi left Hinata seconds after they arrived at her room. Itachi went into his room, closing the door softly in order to not disturb anyone taking a nap Hinata decided that today would be the day she would explore the Akatsuki hideout. <strong>The other members get to roam around this place, why can't I?<strong>. She walked out of her domain, using the walls for guidance. **... How will this work? I might unknowingly walk into an open door of someone's room... I'll just use the "blind girl" excuse for that one. It's not like I'll see anything, anyways. At times like these, the Byakugan would be so useful, but I wouldn't really be here if I still had the Byakugan, would I? **Hinata slowly walked out into the hallway, using the little directions she remembered. **So far, so good. I better not run into a wall... **

When Hinata couldn't recall any more directions, she felt around the walls to her right and went wherever they led to. The walls led her to the living room of the base, where Sasori and Konan were in the middle of having an awkward silence. They had never actually been alone in the same room before, and Konan had tried her best to avoid it. Konan was going to sleep on the couch, since she just got back from a walk around the Akatsuki base and was too lazy to go to her room. Sasori had been the first to get to that room, cleaning his puppets, sitting on the chair to the left of Konan's sleeping couch, and Konan couldn't trust Sasori while she was sleeping - he's just creepy.

Konan tried to make conversation with Sasori, but he just ignored her and continued with his business. Neither of them wanted to leave the room. When Hinata entered the room, Konan watched as Hinata blindly felt the walls for assistance.

"Hey, does anyone know what room I am in now?" Hinata curiously asked, breaking the silence.

"The living room. Isn't Itachi-kun supposed to be helping you around the base?" Konan replied.

"Yeah, but the only places he takes me to is my room and the kitchen." Hinata responded.

"I see." Konan said, understanding her situation.

"That better not be another blind joke." Hinata jokingly said.

Konan laughed at Hinata's statement.

"Of course not. Hey, come here. We should talk a little, us being the only girls in this place." Konan offered, leading Hinata towards her sleeping couch, hoping that their girl talk will drive Sasori away.

"So you must be that Hinata girl that Hidan-san was talking about. I'm Konan." she added, introducing herself.

"Not even a week here, and everyone knows my name. Way better than my old village." Hinata observed.

"I know, right?" Konan agreed.

"Some people here can be very stubborn, though..." Konan stated rather loudly, referring to Sasori.

"It really sucks that we have a lot of immortals here. Hidan-san who's immortal thanks to 'Jashin' or something; Sasori-chan to the left of us, who's some sort of puppet-human dude; Kakuzu-kun who's almost immortal; and Itachi-kun who's seemingly immortal," Konan listed, "it'd be funny if they were the ones to die before I did."

"Wow. So, what do they look like?" Hinata asked, moving the conversation along.

"Well, Hidan-san has purple eyes and medium silver hair that's slicked back. His Akatsuki cloak is open and he wears no shirt under it. He's got muscles and abs, so it's not that bad. He's 22 years old, and pretty damn sexy." Konan described.

"Sasori-chan has brown eyes, red hair, and wears his cloak closed. He's probably got nothing to show under it, anyways. He's 35, but still looks like a teenager since he's a puppet-human and all."

"Kakuzu-kun is the second tallest in the Akatsuki, Kisame being the tallest, with dark, tan skin. He wears a white hood and a black mask and he wears his Akatsuki cloak closed. He's got muscles underneath that cloak, though. Underneath his hood, he has long brown hair. I have no idea how to describe his eyes. He's 91, but doesn't look a day over 25."

"Itachi-kun has long black hair and dark eyes that can pierce through you. His Akatsuki cloak is buttoned only in the center, revealing the blue V-neck T-shirt and pants he wears underneath. He's pretty strong, being able to murder his entire clan, sparing only his younger brother. He probably scarred that poor guy for life. Overall, he's pretty good looking 21-year-old."

"I really wish I wasn't blind right now..." Hinata stated.

"I went to the academy with Itachi-sama's younger brother, Sasuke-kun. Handsomeness must run in the Uchiha's blood. Sasuke-kun had so many fangirls back then. Now, he abandoned Konoha, is seeking revenge on Itachi-sama and wants to restore the Uchiha clan." Hinata added, thinking back.

"Konoha must really suck. I mean, that's three people that have abandoned Konoha now." Konan noticed.

"I know, right? They're only sending ninja to find Sasuke-kun, though, which I find pretty stupid. He's mental now, I heard. I'm starting to wonder who the real delusional ones are now. The only one that noticed that I left the village was Neji, and he hated me. Now he claims that he loves me. Bipolar much?" Hinata said, voicing out her opinions.

"Oooh, he likes you? Did you turn him down?" Konan responded, getting interested in Hinata's love life.

"Mmhmm. Too late for that 'I love you, so don't leave' crap. I beat him to a pulp, gave him a speech about how Konoha sucked, and he tells me he loves me, only to get denied. I felt like Sasuke-kun when that happened." Hinata told Konan.

"Ha! That's so bad-ass. Neji got beat up by a girl that dumped him! I am so telling everyone about this..." Konan promised, still laughing.

Sasori secretly listened to the girls' conversation, wanting to spread the gossip, too. **That is so pathetic...**

"Yeah, Itachi-sama saw it too. I bet he was just thinking 'Oh my God Neji, you fail'. Neji's my ex-cousin too! Seriously, Neji... I'm more likely to start a relationship with Itachi-sama than Neji. Technically, we had a 'date' this morning." Hinata announced, thinking that Neji was the pathetic one now.

"Oh, yeah! Hidan-san told me about it. You two went out after that that huge fight in the kitchen." Konan remembered.

"And all this happened today. I have such a busy life now. The last 4 years were just me being a loner in the forest, and now I have rumors and a better love life. I used to like this one guy, Naruto Uzumaki, but the love was obviously one-sided. I think he's gay. I remember in the academy, I saw Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun kissing... It was so funny."

"Oh my God, Sasuke's gay? I wonder how he's going to restore his clan now." Konan responded.

"I know, right? He had so many fangirls, and didn't even look at them. Itachi-sama is probably more likely to fulfill Sasuke-kun's goal of restoring the Uchiha clan. He took me on a date, so he must be planning _something_..." Hinata said, implying that she expected Itachi to make a move on her.

"So you like him?" Konan asked, jumping to conclusions.

"At this point, yes. He's been nothing but nice to me. Wait, isn't Sasori-senpai listening to our conversation?" Hinata answered, shifting their attention towards Sasori.

"Yup." Sasori answered.

"..."

"You should totally start a relationship with Itachi-kun." Konan encouraged, ignoring the fact that Sasori was listening.

"The day I left Konoha, I vowed to myself that I'd never cry or care for anyone anymore. He made me break that promise to myself. I had a horrible dream last night, re-living my banishment from the Hyuga clan. I was crying in reality, and Itachi-sama saw me so he woke me up from that nightmare... He comforted me... " Hinata admitted.

"Aww, that's so sweet. I never knew Itachi-kun had a good side." Konan commented.

"Then Hidan-senpai burst into the room, thinking that we were having sex or something, then yelled at Kakuzu-senpai about it." Hinata recalled.

"So that's what really happened! I knew it! Hidan-san is so stupid." Konan discovered.

"Yeah. Itachi-sama's also the one that recruited me into the Akatsuki, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Kisame-senpai." Hinata added.

"Aww, he's such a nice guy. And I thought he was cold and emotionless. Maybe he spared his younger brother out of love..." Konan figured.

"Why'd he kill his clan then?" Hinata questioned.

"Sometimes villages order the assassination of a person, so maybe they do the same for clans?" Konan replied.

"That makes sense. So that means Itachi-sama isn't the ruthless serial killer that everyone thinks he is. What do you think, Sasori-senpai?" Hinata asked, wanting a second opinion from Sasori.

"It's possible." Sasori responded, focusing more on cleaning his puppet collection than the subject that the girls were talking about.

"Do you think he's good in bed, Sasori-chan?" Konan teased.

At that moment, Sasori gathered his stuff and left the room.

"Success! He's gone!" Konan exclaimed.

"For a second, I thought you were serious." Hinata jokingly stated.

"Do _you _think he's good in bed?" Konan asked again, more serious this time.

"It's possible." Hinata responded, copying Sasori.

"You should totally start a relationship with Itachi-kun." Konan repeated.

"Maybe. I really hope he makes the first move, though." Hinata confessed.

"What about you, Konan-senpai? Have you ever fallen in love?" Hinata wondered.

"You can just call me Konan-chan, if you want. Yeah, I've fallen in love. I'm in a relationship right now, actually, it's just kind of complicated." Konan answered.

"Really? With who, Konan-chan?" Hinata asked, curious about Konan's lover.

"The leader of the Akatsuki, but that's not how I got into this organization, in case you're wondering." Konan told Hinata.

"So, is he good in bed?" Hinata asked, half joking.

"Mmhmm."

"Oh my gosh, you two did it?" Hinata questioned, surprised by Konan's answer.

"Mmhmm."

"What's so complicated about the relationship?"

"Ugh. He's all stressed about the organization and he doesn't want to let people know about our relationship." Konan explained.

"That must suck. You should just suddenly make out with him in front of everyone, one day. That'll show him." Hinata suggested, mostly kidding.

"You know what? Maybe I will." Konan said, taking Hinata's suggestion.

"I was just kidding, you know." Hinata told Konan.

"I know, but he seriously needs to lighten up." Konan responded.

"Good luck with that, Konan-chan..." Hinata wished, thinking Konan wasn't really serious.

* * *

><p>Itachi walked into the room before he could hear anything that Hinata and Konan were talking about. He had that same emotionless look on his face, but now Konan knew that there was something more hiding under that facade. Itachi was oblivious to their thoughts about him.<p>

"The Akatsuki leader is going to hold a meeting." Itachi reported.

"Okay, Itachi-sama." Hinata cheerfully said as she stepped towards Itachi, with Konan following the two.

Hinata lightly clinged onto Itachi's cloak as he escorted her to the meeting room.

"So you've met Konan-chan. What'd you two talk about?" Itachi asked, sensing Hinata's gossipy mood.

"Not much, just politics." Hinata lied.

"Okay, then." Itachi said, believing Hinata's lie.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Itachi arrived in the meeting room, the leader immediately told them to sit down in one of the chairs of the meeting room's table, which Itachi had to assist Hinata with. Everyone in the Akatsuki was already in the room by the time Konan, Itachi, and Hinata arrived. Pein sat at one end of the table and Konan on the other. Hinata was seated between Itachi and Konan.<p>

"Ahem..." Pein cleared his throat, and the room went silent, except for Hidan.

"So then I was like, FUCK you!" Hidan was telling Kisame, not realizing that everyone else had gone silent.

"..."

"Okay, so it has been brought to my attention that I am clearly stressed out about this organization's progress," Pein continued, ignoring Hidan, "so we are going to take a vacation!"

Everyone started whispering to each other about the vacation, excited about their first vacation.

"Ahem!" Pein once again cleared his throat to silence the room.

"Any ideas on where we should go?" Pein asked.

"Hot springs!" everyone yelled out.

"... Okay then. Any ideas on how we'll pay?" Pein brought up.

"And NO we're not asking you to pay, Kakuzu..." Pein assured, causing Kakuzu's hand to go down.

The remaining hands up were Itachi's, Deidara's, Kisame's, and Sasori's.

"Sasori?" Pein picked, allowing Sasori to speak.

"Rape Kakuzu until he agrees to pay for the trip." Sasori proposed.

"..."

The room once again fell dead silent. Hidan put on his rape face, imagining his partner getting violated. Kakuzu scurried out in fear.

"Deidara?" Pein asked, hoping he'll come up with something less disturbing than his partner.

"Art is a BANG, so we-"

"Kisame?" Pein interrupted Deidara, not wanting another speech about what art is.

"Sell lemonade."

"Itachi?" Pein asked, starting to lose even more hope in the Akatsuki.

"We don't pay," Itachi bluntly explained.

"How will that work?" Pein curiously asked.

"Itachi-sama has his ways, Leader-san." Hinata remarked, remembering how he paid for their little date.

"So we're down to rape, selling lemonade, and not paying..." Pein listed.

"Rape! Rape! Rape!" Hidan eagerly chanted.

"Well, we _could_ sell the pictures of the rape on the internet..." Konan commented.

"I agree," Zetsu said.

**"Fuck. Him. Hard." Zetsu's dark personality asserted.**

"Who's going to do the actual raping, though?" Hinata questioned.

"We shall let our faithful leader have the honor of doing the deed." Sasori dryly answered.

All the Akatsuki members present at the meeting room stared at their leader, then clapped and congratulated him.

"I'll take the pictures!" Deidara volunteered, finding the flash of a camera similar to an explosion.

"I'll get the torture weapons!" Hidan declared.

"Kisame and Zetsu will be the ones to drag Kakuzu to wherever he'll be raped. Itachi will come up with the location. Konan and Hinata will stand in the sidelines, laughing at Kakuzu's fate." Sasori appointed.

"Sounds like a plan." Konan stated.

"What? No! We are not going to rape Kakuzu!" Pein cried, disgusted by the people he works with.

"That's because _you_ are, Leader-san!" Hinata replied.

"Nobody is! You people are sick!" Pein yelled, wanting to end this foolishness once and for all.

"..."

"Should we use date-rape drugs?" Konan suggested.

Pein slammed his face into the table, groaning out the word 'hopeless'.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Lemon coming up, so keep on reviewing!<strong>

**Reader: I'll review whenever I want to. =|**

**Me: (0.0) Fine, no lemon then...**

**Reader: Okay, okay! I'll review! Geez...**

**[EDITED: 6/23/2013 for formatting and minor issues.]**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter took a long time to make! **

**I work on this story every day, but it never seems to**

** make my progress any faster... **

**Happy holidays!**

* * *

><p>After a few seconds, the Akatsuki leader finally raised his head.<p>

"Everyone... Go split up into teams and find a way to pay for your team by yourselves. I don't care how, just raise money. It'll be $25 for each person per day, which includes unlimited access to the hot springs and free room service. We'll be there for 3 days, so bring enough clothes. Towels will be provided there. The deadline is in one week on Friday morning, we're going to take a bus there. You're all dismissed," Pein tiredly explained to the Akatsuki.

Everyone, except two, impatiently rushed out of the meeting room, discussing who will be on their teams and how they'll earn the money. Itachi and Hinata were the last ones to depart, because they wanted to avoid the rush. Hinata already knew how they were going to "pay" for their expenses.

"So we're not gonna pay, right?" Hinata asked, wanting to confirm her thoughts.

"No paying for us, whatsoever," Itachi guaranteed.

"You're such a genius, Itachi-sama," Hinata commented, smiling.

Pein slowly got up from his spot, tediously making his way towards Kakuzu's room to inform him of the decision that he made during the meeting Kakuzu fled from. He probably already had enough money, though.

"Kakuzu, you can come out now. Nobody is going to violate you in any way," Pein notified Kakuzu.

"_Lies!_ It's but a trap to draw me out!" Kakuzu yelled as he hid under his bed, clutching a can of pepper spray.

"What? No, everyone is splitting up into teams to raise money for the trip. It's $25 for each person per day for 3 days. Deadline is in one week from now, on Friday. We'll take a bus there," Pein informed him.

"That's what you _want_ me to think! I'm never coming out ever again!" Kakuzu declared, too paranoid to trust anyone anymore.

"Whatever, we'll just go on the hot springs trip without you, then." Pein shrugged, not caring if Kakuzu comes or not.

"Will towels be provided?" Kakuzu questioned.

"Yes, unlimited access to the hot springs and the room service will be free," Pein wearily told him, hating to repeat himself.

Kakuzu, with the hot springs trip as motivation, finally emerged from his room, but was still holding his pepper spray. He gave in, really needing those 3 days of relaxation as much as Pein did.

"Fine, but if I get touched in any way, I'm quitting the Akatsuki," Kakuzu bluffed.

"Yeah, right..." Pein whispered under his breath as he turned away from Kakuzu, and headed towards his room.

* * *

><p>All the other Akatsuki members had already chosen their teams. Konan decided to pair with Pein, Hidan with Deidara, and Sasori with Zetsu. Nobody wanted to sell lemonade with Kisame, so he decided to fly solo. Hidan somehow convinced everyone to turn the fundraiser into a competition, to "make this shit more fun". The first team to gather enough money is rewarded with the ability to boast about their victory to the losing teams. With that, the teams employed their zeal to form a strategy so they could claim triumph.<p>

"So, as I was saying, art is an explosion, so we should sell tickets for a firework display held by yours truly, un," Deidara put into consideration.

"Or you could put on a bikini and strip for the damn money..." Hidan recommended.

"I'm not a girl, dammit, un!" Deidara argued, irritated.

"Such fucking horrible language for a woman!" Hidan gasped out in mock surprise.

"Says the guy who cusses in every sentence he says, un," Deidara retorted.

"I don't fucking cuss, you damn whore!" Hidan falsely claimed.

"You just did, un!"

Deidara and Hidan then engaged into a struggle, rolling onto the floor. They wrestled to get the upper hand in their fight, to determine whose idea was better.

"Hah, you pussy! Ain't gonna get on top of me, bitch!" Hidan taunted, sneering as he got on top of Deidara.

Sasori and Zetsu walked in, hearing the remark by Hidan. Sasori was wearing a camera around his neck, hoping to capture something interesting. They had the perfect timing, as they saw the brawl before them. Of course, the position Hidan and Deidara were in seemed like something that someone would misunderstand, so Sasori took a picture of it right away. Hidan and Deidara heard the click of the camera, realized their pose, and started towards Sasori.

"Fuck! Get the damn camera! Damn puppet-fucking bitch!" Hidan commanded, pointing at Sasori.

"Sasori no danna, gimme the camera, un!" Deidara demanded as he clawed for the camera.

However, Sasori's camera had the picture printed instantly, and he handed the picture to Zetsu. Sasori put Deidara in a half-nelson hold, delaying him from running towards Zetsu.

"Who's my bitch? That's right, you are," Sasori mocked.

"Let go, Sasori-danna, un!" Deidara pleaded.

"Not until you tell me who's my bitch." Sasori said, not willing to let go.

"I am, un," Deidara whispered, shy about admitting it out loud.

"What? I can't hear you," Sasori insisted.

"I am! I'm your bitch, un!" Deidara yelled loudly, embarrassed from having this discussion around people.

"Mmhmm, and don't forget that," Sasori warned as released his grip on Deidara.

Deidara promptly chased after Zetsu, ignoring Sasori's comment.

"Should we give it to him?" White Zetsu asked.

**"Of course not, stupid! We need the money for the trip!" Black Zetsu answered, wanting to slap White Zetsu, although that would mean slapping himself.**

Zetsu used his Mayflower technique, traveling to an unknown destination.

"Oh, Jashin-sama... We're fucking damned now," Hidan wailed.

"... So you're his fucking bitch, huh?" Hidan remarked, snickering, causing Deidara's face to flush as he looked away.

By nightfall, only Sasori and Zetsu's team had their plan put into action. They put the picture on eBay, selling it for $400. The other teams decided to either put their scheme to work tomorrow or were still plotting. The Akatsuki base fell silent, for everyone had fallen asleep. This marked the end of Thursday.

* * *

><p>Friday morning started, and everything appeared normal. No particular event was supposed to happen that day, so there was no need to rush. Hinata was awoken by a soft knock on her door, which came from no other than Itachi. He arrived to accompany her on the way to the kitchen. Hinata quickly hopped out of her bed at the sound of his knock and opened her door.<p>

"Good morning, Itachi-sama," Hinata greeted in an upbeat tone.

"Morning, Hinata," Itachi answered back, with a tone that contrasted Hinata's.

They followed the same routine, except with Hinata slightly resting her head on Itachi's arm, not completely awake yet. All Akatsuki members were present at the kitchen this morning, even Zetsu. There was a chatter, Konan leading most of it. She kept her promise to tell everyone about Hinata's fight with Neji. Sasori was also unexpectedly involved in the conversation.

"Okay, so I heard that Hina-chan totally pwned her ex-cousin yesterday!" Konan gossiped.

"Oh snap! This sounds damn juicy!" Hidan commented, leaning forward.

"Mmhmm, so after Itachi and Hinata had, err, breakfast yesterday, Neji recognized Hinata or something, so he followed her. But they knew they were being followed, because they're so ninja like that. So Neji, Hina-chan's ex-cousin, was like, 'Come back to Konoha!', but then Hina-chan was like 'Nope, Konoha sucks', so then they started fighting. Hina-chan beat Neji, and then they left him on the ground, being so bad-ass like that." Konan summarized.

"Really?" Pein asked, getting interested in Konan's tale.

"Yup. So, as they were leaving, Neji confesses his love for her," Konan told them.

"Oh. My. God," Kisame stated, his jaws almost dropping.

"The heck? But he's her ex-cousin, un!" Deidara said, not trusting Konan's words.

"Exactly, that's what I thought! I heard this, straight from the source. Sasori-chan heard it too, right Sasori-chan?" Konan asked, wanting support from Sasori.

"Yup. Neji sounded pretty pathetic in the story," Sasori confirmed.

"Yeah, and you can even ask Hina-chan or Itachi-kun," Konan added.

"Aww, I feel bad for this Neji boy," the white half of Zetsu sympathized.

**"Idiot, he had that coming. Acting like a fool will only bring you grief," the dark half of Zetsu debated.**

"So, what'd Hinata do about the confession?" Pein questioned, now completely interested in Konan's gossip.

"Ignored it," Konan answered.

Sounds of oohs and an 'Oh snap!' from Hidan could be heard from the room. Hinata and Itachi merely stood at the doorway of the room, listening to the opinions of their comrades. When they finally noticed the two, they began clapping for Hinata. Everyone was astonished that a blind girl like her could do such a thing. They all underestimated the new girl.

"Is it really true?" Kakuzu inquired Hinata.

"Good morning? Uhh, yeah. Itachi-sama was training me, and attacking Neji was my first assignment..." Hinata justified.

"Bad-ass! Fucking bad-ass!" Hidan cheered.

"I did not know you had it in you," Pein stated, still shocked.

"Arigato, Leader-san. Is there any cereal?" Hinata wondered, hungry for breakfast.

"Still no food in this base... We're all here just to gossip about stuff." Konan answered, teaching Hinata about the ways of the Akatsuki.

"Hinata and I are going to eat out, then," Itachi informed everyone, leading Hinata away from the other Akatsuki members.

"Let's go to a bar," Hinata requested.

"I don't drink, and you're underaged," Itachi pointed out.

"I know, but hearing the gossip in the Akatsuki makes me wonder about the gossip in Konoha. Bars are always full of drunks spilling information about tons of stuff. You can learn more about certain people, you know?" Hinata reasoned.

"Fine, but no drinking," Itachi allowed, giving his consent.

* * *

><p>As Hinata and Itachi made their way towards Konoha, Neji was discussing Hinata's betrayal with Kiba, Shino, Naruto, Sai, Sakura, Ino, Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Tenten.<p>

"What happened to your leg, Neji-san?" Tenten asked, noticing the dangerously deep gash in his leg and that he was limping when he walked.

"Why'd you call us all out here at such an early hour? It was so troublesome getting up this morning..." Shikamaru asked Neji, yawning.

"It's already 11:30 am, and this is really important. Hinata left Konoha," Neji sadly announced.

"It's called a mission, smart one!" Naruto yelled, grumpy about being up so early.

"No, it's not a mission. She joined the Akatsuki," Neji told them.

"Eh?" everyone gasped out.

"Hasn't anyone noticed her disappearance?" Neji asked them.

"..."

"Oh my God... What about you, Kiba?"

"Well, I thought she was just really busy with missions. I barely get to see any of you guys, anyways..." Kiba said, trying to defend himself.

"Shino?"

"Nobody talks to me that much. Why? Because people find me creepy," Shino stated.

"How do you know she defected from Konoha?" Tenten questioned.

"I saw her yesterday at a cafe, wearing an Akatsuki cloak and her forehead protector's leaf symbol was slashed through. She was eating with a man that she calls 'Itachi-sama'," Neji recalled.

"What if she was forced to join?" Ino brought up.

"She was laughing, smiling, being happy, she called him Itachi-sama, and told him how smooth he was," Neji added, answering Ino's thoughts.

"Itachi... Itachi... Sounds familiar..." Naruto said, trying to remember something.

"I know now," Naruto said, snapping his fingers, "that's the one guy that Sasuke wanted to kill."

"Oh yeah! Itachi's the one that murdered his entire clan, sparing only Sasuke-kun," Sakura remembered.

"That doesn't make sense, though. Why would she leave Konoha? Last time I saw her, she was smiling and talking with Sakura and Ino," Tenten wondered.

"Faking a smile is easy. Having a real smile on your face is the hard part," Sai told them, knowing everything about fake smiles.

"He's right. Hinata was miserable here, always hiding and living in pain," Neji said, surprised by what's-his-face's words.

"If she is happier in the Akatsuki than here, why should we bring her back?" Rock Lee supposed.

"Why should we bring Sasuke back, then?" Neji snapped, burning with rage.

"Calm down, Neji!" Chouji said, raising his voice a little.

"No! She didn't deserve the loneliness she had before. Every day, her will to live got weaker and weaker. I saw it in her eyes. She was abused mentally and physically ever since she was born! She ran away from Konoha because nobody tried to help her! This is our chance to finally reach out, and you people refuse? She was always so nice to you guys, and you don't want to return the favor?" Neji exclaimed, angry at their choice to ignore Hinata.

"Neji!" Sakura yelled, wanting him to calm down.

"What did Sasuke do? Oh yeah, he was showered with a bunch of attention and went mental because of his motive to kill his older brother! Hinata was told every day that she was never good enough. She almost committed suicide one time! Do you people hate her?"

"Neji, please!" Tenten shouted.

Neji's voice was desperate to persuade them to help save Hinata. He felt guilty that he couldn't prevent her from leaving Konoha. Her gentle soul became tattered and confused. She was so pure, so forgiving. She could and _should_ have killed him yesterday, but she didn't. That was a sign that she didn't belong to a place of immoral people such as the Akatsuki. **Why was it safer for her in the Akatsuki than in Konoha? **

"One day, Hiashi-sama told Hinata that she was weak and not worthy enough to be in the Hyuuga clan, so he banished her from the clan. Hiashi-sama blinded her that day. She ran away that day, and never came back. I've thought about how much I missed her, and I realized that... I love Hinata... Why won't anyone help her?" Neji pleaded, on the verge of tears.

"Neji... We're sorry, but you have to let her go," Ino firmly said to him.

Neji angrily stomped off, declining the option to let Hinata be. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Surprisingly, it was Sai's hand.

"Neji, I'll help you. I may not know who Hinata is, but I've learned that everyone needs a second chance in life, to start over and make the right choices in order to live 'happily ever after'," Sai offered, quoting something in a book he read.

"Bonds are important... I want to understand what 'friendship' and 'love' is," Sai stated.

"Arigato," Neji thanked him, as he bowed down in deep gratitude.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Tsunade was scolding the village's gate guards for letting two Akatsuki members pass through without any kind of alert.<p>

"In my defense, I noticed the Akatsuki entering our village, but _this _guy here accused me of being too paranoid!" the first guard informed Tsunade, pointing an accusing finger at the second guard.

"That's only because you've been on edge, trying to charge everyone you see with having some kind of connection with the Akatsuki ever since you've heard of them a week ago!" the second guard argued.

"There's no excuse for letting the Akatsuki infiltrate Konoha! Who's guarding the gates now?" the Hokage demanded.

"..."

The two guards glanced at each other, thinking 'Oh crap'.

* * *

><p>At the same time, Hinata and Itachi entered Konoha. Hinata suddenly sneezed, turning her face towards her side while doing so.<p>

"Bless you." Itachi reacted, instinct telling him to do so.

"Arigato. I hope I'm not catching a cold." Hinata replied.

"Perhaps someone has been talking about you." Itachi suggested.

"I'm not superstitious, Itachi-sama." Hinata said, not believing in that old belief.

Itachi took a glimpse at the small shelter where the village guards were supposed to be at, on the lookout for any enemies. Empty.

"There's no guards on duty." Itachi murmured to himself.

"No guards? Do you think they're planning something?" Hinata responded.

"I don't think so." Itachi answered Hinata.

"They might just be having a lunch break."

* * *

><p>Itachi shrugged it off. His eyes scouted Konoha for the nearest bar. <strong>Sasuke... Is it true? <strong>After he found a bar, they entered it. Itachi walked towards the bartender with Hinata by his side. They sat at the counter, listening to the dialogue around them.

"Order?" the bartender asked.

"Just water." Itachi replied as he listened to the two drunks next to him.

"Haha... Did you hear about that one Uchiha Sasuke person?" one intoxicated man said, slurring his words.

"Dude, dude, there's a duck on your face..." the other man said, acting as if he had consumed too many cups of scotch - and he did.

"You're totally drunk, man..." the first man said, pointing out the obvious.

"And you're not?" the second drunk retorted.

"I am completely sober!" the first man drunkly argued.

"And I'm an elf with a purple unicorn..." the second man sarcastically replied.

"Dude! You have a purple unicorn? That is so epic!" the first man yelled, actually believing his friend's sarcasm.

"No way, I do? Holy crap!" the second man shouted, completely shocked.

"Yeah! Wait, I was going to tell you something..." the first man said, trying to remember.

"If it was important, you wouldn't have forgotten." the second man reasoned.

"Yeah, I guess. You're such a smart elf." the first man complimented.

* * *

><p>Itachi sighed, and turned his attention towards the two glasses of water that have been set in front of him. Unexpectedly, a basket of nachos have also been placed in front of the two. Next, a plate of pizza. Finally, a dish of mozzarella sticks with marinara dip on the side.<p>

"We didn't order all of this." Itachi told the bartender.

"It's for the girl. The nachos are from that man," the bartender told Itachi, pointing at the corner of the bar, "the pizza is from that guy," the bartender said, pointing at a man five seats away from the pair, "and the mozzarella sticks are actually for you, from that drunk chick at the table behind you."

"All is pre-paid, none of it is drugged. Made by our underpaid chef." the bartender added.

Hinata thanked the bartender. She picked up her glass, and poured a drop of it into the palm of her hand.

"The water is drugged, Itachi-sama." Hinata calmly stated.

"How do you know that?" Itachi questioned.

"It... Doesn't feel like water. He never said the water wasn't drugged." Hinata explained.

Itachi took a look at her glass of water. She was right, it _was _drugged. His glass was drugged, too. **Damn, Konoha is loaded with perverts. **

"Excuse me, bartender-san." Hinata called.

"Do you need help with anything?" the bartender kindly asked.

"Someone drugged my water." Hinata reported.

The bartender took a whiff of her glass of water. He's been trained to detect any tampered drinks after the Rock Lee incident. **Crap, not again.**

"Clever girl you are." the bartender complimented.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, this place is full of drunk perverts, you know. Anything you happen to want?"

"How about some information?" Hinata requested.

"Of course! The beans are spilled every day here, and I'm always around to clean it up."

"I've heard about how all the remaining Uchiha's have abandoned Konoha. What's the status with Sasuke Uchiha?" Hinata nonchalantly asked as she and Itachi began eating.

The noise of talk in the bar camouflaged their conversation well.

"He's an S-rank missing nin, currently the student of the Snake Sannin. Gone for 4 years now, I think. Tried to kill his own best friend, crazy guy he is. Lots of talk about him wanting to kill his older brother, Itachi, because he killed his entire clan." the bartender answered, providing the information that both Hinata and Itachi needed.

"What about the Hyuuga clan?" Hinata wanted to know, taking another bite of food.

"Eldest daughter of Hiashi used to be heiress, but the title has been given to her younger sister. Not much is known about why. That Hiashi is good at keeping their business private. Last night, I was taking out the trash, and I saw the Hyuuga prodigy, Neji, running towards the Hokage's office with tears streaming down his face. The Hyuuga prodigy never cried or showed any emotion _ever_."

"The former heiress ran away. Her father mercilessly banished her from the clan. Anything known about that?" Hinata purposely spilled.

"No rumors I've heard have said anything about that. Sounds pretty logical, though. Hey, how do you know about that?" the bartender asked, curious on how this girl got this kind of information about the Hyuuga clan.

"I just do." Hinata slyly answered.

"There will be more information about this soon, spilled from a certain Hyuuga." Hinata predicted.

"By the way, you heard none of this from me" the bartender lied with a wink, wanting to keep his knowledge of things a secret.

"And I never asked." Hinata replied, ending their intelligence exchange.

* * *

><p>"Was there something you wanted to know, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked.<p>

"No..."

Itachi hesitated, as if to say something more.

"Nothing."

He instantly regretted his decision. However, he knew that his questions couldn't be answered. Itachi was satisfied with the little facts about Sasuke that was given to him. **Sasuke...**

"We can always come back if you want, Itachi-sama." Hinata reminded him.

"No, that won't be needed." Itachi responded.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked, sensing his heavy mood.

Itachi paused before saying anything.

"Is it hard being blind?" Itachi finally questioned.

"Hard? Yes, it's hard. It was scary accepting the fact that I was blind. It's hard to tell if you're dead or not, conscious or unconscious... You learn to see color with your heart, and know with your mind. It's not that bad, though. It was harder when I was able to see." Hinata answered.

Not much was said after that answer was spoken. After the two finished their meal, they didn't hesitate before leaving the establishment that had rape written all over it. Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru just happened to be walking by as Itachi led Hinata out of the Hidden Leaf Village. None of them took any notice to the two Akatsuki members, and they continued on. Hinata identified their chakra, though.

"Did a blonde boy happen to be walking by next to a girl with pink hair and a boy with black hair that seems like the lazy type?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Itachi replied.

"They used to be the people that I called friends." Hinata said, disappointed that they didn't find her familiar.

"Obviously, they would've recognized me if they really were friends." Hinata added, getting a bit depressed at the thought.

"If they were smart, they would have recognized their own village's enemy." Itachi pointed out, making Hinata laugh.

"That's true." Hinata said, her mood becoming brighter again.

**Itachi-sama, you always know what to say. **As the two walked on, Itachi came across a sight that made him stop dead in his tracks. He was speechless.

"Eh? We stopped. Is Kisame-senpai here?" Hinata asked, feeling the shark-ish chakra of Kisame nearby.

There he was, sitting on a chair in a table. _Selling lemonade. _Such a childish way of attaining cash it was. Plus, it's _autumn _for Pete's sake! Kisame humiliated the Akatsuki with his idiotic business scheme.

**...He was serious? **Itachi was too dumbfounded by Kisame's pitiful lemonade stand to vocalize anything. He quickly dragged himself and Hinata away from Kisame. Itachi continued their fast pace until they were out of the village. The guards were once again at their stations, but the didn't see the Akatsuki members leave. Even after the harsh lecture that the 5th Hokage gave them, they still decided to slack off on their jobs by taking a nap.

* * *

><p>"Itachi-sama, can we take a walk?" Hinata requested.<p>

"Something you want to tell me?" Itachi asked, a bit skeptical of Hinata's intentions.

"No... I just like it outside." Hinata replied.

"It was shocking... Going from a view of nearly 360 degrees to a view of darkness..." the blind girl confessed.

"I thought I was dead at first, but then I felt a pain. Cold, sharp pain... Piercing through my heart..."

Hinata became silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Reality... I wasn't dead, I was blind. Standing up was so hard... I thought I was going to fall, but I didn't."

She smiled.

"You have to trust yourself. That one lesson helped me so much." Hinata said.

Her words were soft, but they had such an impact on Itachi. She inspired him so much. Itachi was always so regretful of his own actions ever since he heard of Sasuke's betrayal of Konoha and loyalty towards that _cursed _Orochimaru. Sasuke's hatred towards Itachi sprouted into something much more harmful: a lust for power.

"Itachi-sama, you don't have to be afraid of talking about my past or blindness. I can answer any question you have for me." Hinata told him.

Itachi waited a few seconds before testing her offer.

"Do you think Sasuke will return to Konoha?" Itachi asked.

"Sasuke-kun returning to Konoha? No, I don't think he will. He's gotten so far in his current path, it'd be hard for him to turn back now. He doesn't want to, and personally, I don't want to either. So much hatred, he had in his eyes. It's not hatred for you, though, Itachi-sama. It's just plain hatred." Hinata reasoned.

"Plain hatred?"

"Sasuke-kun merely used his hatred for you as an excuse. He had a taste of happiness when he was with Team 7. He abandoned that happiness for power. It wasn't because he hated you that much, Itachi-sama, it was for something much more deeper than that." Hinata calmly explained.

"And what is his reason for pursuing power?" Itachi questioned, curious.

"Uchiha instinct. Like how it's Hyuuga instinct to be cold." Hinata answered, indifferent about the entire matter.

"How do you know that?" the Uchiha asked, wondering how Hinata got that kind of information about the Uchiha clan.

"Hmm... I don't know. Every clan has something that is passed down. Whether it's kekkei genkai or a chain of hatred, it's always passed down. Even if the Uchiha massacre didn't happen, Sasuke-kun would probably be the same." Hinata explained.

"It's unpreventable, then..."

"No, not unpreventable. Just highly likely. You can go against the odds and still win. Nothing is impossible, Itachi-sama. How could he return after what he did, though? It's too far of a stretch to happen. I only know two ways he could go back to Konoha." Hinata said.

Itachi didn't say anything. He was waiting for Hinata to explain those two ways that she mentioned.

"The first way is if he looks back at what he's done. He needs to feel doubt, regret, and remorse." Hinata told Itachi.

"What's the other way?" Itachi asked Hinata.

"The other way is if he falls in love. Not someone falling in love with him, the other way around. The person he falls in love with needs to be able to show Sasuke-kun that he should stay in Konoha... But to be bound by a village is not something that Sasuke-kun would want. It'd just hold back his progress. So detached from the world. I can almost... Understand him in a way."

The two became silent. Itachi was carefully thinking about Hinata's quiet words. He noticed that Hinata was never facing the person she was talking to, even during her fight with Neji and her girl talk with Konan. **She's blind, so I guess it can't be helped. **While Itachi and Hinata stopped their conversation about methods to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, Sai and Neji began their discussion about how to bring Hinata back to Konoha while eating at Ichiraku Ramen.

* * *

><p>"So, Captain Neji, what shall we do to bring Hinata back?" Sai asked, annoying Neji as he uttered the words 'Captain Neji'.<p>

"Don't call me 'Captain Neji', and we need to formulate a plan." Neji told Sai.

"What shall be our strategy to bring her back, Captain Neji?"

"Don't call me 'Captain Neji'." Neji repeated, getting angry.

"Do you have any experience in battle with her, Captain Neji?" Sai asked, ignoring Neji's request.

"Yes, I fought her just yesterday. She's highly skilled with weapons, being as good as Tenten. She threw multiple shuriken at a time, all shurikens infused with a large amount of chakra. She still had more than enough chakra afterwards. Since she's blind and doesn't have the Byakugan anymore, she can't use the Gentle First. She doesn't use any of the Hyuuga clan's fighting techniques anymore."

"It seems that she's become a master at taijutsu and is considerably strong. She was able to pin me against a tree by my throat..."

"... You got beat up by a blind girl, Captain Neji." Sai observed, flashing a fake smile across his face.

"Shut. Up." Neji angrily commanded through gritted teeth.

Sai only faked another smile in response. **Is he even listening? This is going to be a long day... **

"What are her weaknesses, then, Captain Neji?"

"Stop calling me that, dammit! She's blind and she had tuberculosis ever since she was young. She had a coughing fit during our battle." Neji listed.

"And she still beat you up, Captain Neji?"

"Shut up!" Neji yelled, about to slap Sai.

"It's true, though." Sai said back to Neji, a fake smile appearing on his face once again.

"Stop with the fake smiles! A smile isn't worth it if you don't mean it." Neji sternly stated.

Sai suddenly put on a serious face.

"And she still beat you up, Captain Neji?" Sai repeated, except in a much more grim tone.

Neji sighed.

"Yes... Yes she did..." was all Neji answered Sai with.

"How should we use these weaknesses to our advantage, Captain Neji?"

"She's able to overcome her weaknesses, so it's hard to tell how. I'm guessing that we have to fight her long enough to tire her out into another coughing fit..." Neji told him, his voice returning to it's usual emotionless coldness.

"You do realize that tiring her out to the point where she has a coughing fit can prove to be fatal to her, right? Are you planning on bringing her back dead, Captain Neji?" Sai questioned.

"No, I want to bring her back alive." Neji answered.

"Why risk her life to bring her back to Konoha, then, Captain Neji?"

"She won't die, she's too strong to die from that. Besides, it's the only way."

"Aren't there other ways, Captain Neji? Even the largest canyon can crumble from a small river over time. She's been suffering from tuberculosis ever since she was young, you said. And won't her partner just come to her aid? Itachi Uchiha is very capable of protecting Hinata in battle." Sai mentioned, the grim tone of speaking never fading.

"We need to catch her alone, then." Neji answered back.

"Didn't she already beat you up by herself after a coughing fit, Captain Neji?" Sai reminded him.

Neji's hope broke in half, along with his patience.

"Damn it all! I don't know anymore!" Neji suddenly yelled, causing everyone in the ramen shop to stare.

He slammed his face into the counter, grunting in pain. **Damn, that hurt a lot. I knew it'd hurt, but I never knew it'd hurt _that_ much... **His head throbbed with confusion and discomfort.

"You people better stop staring like that, or else I'll have to smack you all." Sai told the people in the ramen shop, smiling his fake smile.

Everyone instantly went back to their usual activities.

"It's okay, Captain Neji. We'll find a way to bring Hinata back." Sai assured him as he patted Neji's back in an awkward attempt to comfort him.

"Don't touch me and stop calling me 'Captain Neji'." Neji firmly told Sai from his position, his voice muffled from the counter.

"Whatever you say, Captain Neji." Sai replied, ignoring Neji's words again, forming another fake smile on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, no lemons yet! <strong>

**I plan on making this story long, that way everything **

**can settle into place and make more sense.**

**Maybe if you review, it'll make my **

**progress faster, and the updates more frequent.**..

**[EDITED: 6/23/2013 for formatting and minor issues.]**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that I haven't updated since last year... I give no pathetic excuses, and I apologize to my readers. But maybe if I got more reviews, then I'd be updating faster, wouldn't I?**

* * *

><p>"Captain Neji, what's Hinata like?" Sai asked.<p>

Slowly, Neji rose his head from the wooden counter of Ichiraku Ramen. **There's so many things to say about her... **

"She's... The best person I ever knew..." Neji simply stated.

"Is she like Naruto, Captain Neji?" Sai asked, comparing Hinata to the best person that he's ever known.

"No, far from it. She was always so kind and tender to everyone," Neji denied, his voice less cold as he spoke of Hinata.

Neji chuckled.

"It's funny how the person I used to hate the most is now the love of my life... Before, I hated her guts just because she was in the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. She was the heiress, and later ex-heiress, while I was just a lowly servant that lived to cater to the main branch's every need. She used to be so frail and weak back then." Neji remembered.

At the mention of the Hyuuga clan, a young, eavesdropping waitress by the name of Ayame began to carefully pay attention. **Hinata Hyuuga? The former heiress of the Hyuuga clan? I've always wondered about what ever happened to her after her title as heiress was stripped away from her... **

"At the Chuunin exams, we were paired up in the preliminary round. I, too, shamelessly tormented her over her weak skills, back then. Both of us activated our Byakugan, and began exchanging Gentle First-styled blows. We were quite even for a bit, but I gained the upper hand and hit her chakra spots, cutting them off. She refused to give up, though. She saw right through me, and told me that I was the weak one who fights who he is... I went into a blind rage, only one second from killing her. Thank God that the jounins stopped me before I did." Neji described, no longer the Hyuuga Prodigy, but a heartbroken young man that lost his love to abuse.

"Even after that, she still forgave me. After that, I began paying close attention to her eyes. Those lavender, translucent eyes showed her true emotions, which are hid behind a fake smile. They showed the gentle soul that's been shattered into billions of pieces... I couldn't help her, or Hiashi-sama would activate the branch family's caged bird seal. I was such a fool to not help her..." Neji admitted, the ache of loss returning once again.

"Hinata reminded me that I wasn't the only one suffering."

Neji lowered his head back onto the wooden counter.

"I love her so much..." Neji said, his eyes once again close to tears.

Ayame, herself, was also close to tears. **I never knew she bore such a burden... **What she just overheard was the saddest love story she ever heard. Sure, they're cousins, but that didn't matter to her. She _had _to tell people about it. Not for gossip, but to spread awareness of the abused that could be right in front of you. Also, to notify Konoha of the horrible truth of the secretive Hyuuga clan.

"Captain Neji, why was Hinata's title of heiress to the Hyuuga clan taken away from her?" Sai asked, along with the rest of the world.

"At age 4 or 5 or something, Hinata's younger sister was proven to be 'more worthy' of being the Hyuuga heiress than Hinata, since she was more talented in taijutsu and more confident in herself, so Hiashi-sama made her the heiress instead of Hinata. He thought that training with Hinata was a waste of time." Neji glumly answered back.

"What's the Hyuuga heiress's name, Captain Neji?"

"Her name? Um... Give me a second... Starts with an 'H'... Hana something... Hanatsuki? Hanagetsu?" Neji guessed, trying to figure out what what's-her-face's name was.

"Hana Montana?" Sai suggested.

"No, no. _Never _mention _that_ name_ ever_ again." Neji told him, still trying to remember.

"Hmmm..." both said aloud at once, trying to solve the puzzle of Hinata's younger sister's name.

**Oh my goodness, she's the heiress of the Hyuuga clan AND in your own family, Neji... **

"Can I help you two?" Ayame asked them with a polite 'customer service' smile.

"We're just trying to remember a name." Neji answered her, interrupting Sai before he got them got kicked out of the shop.

"Whose name is it? Maybe I could help, I know lots of names of people that go to Ichiraku Ramen." Ayame offered.

"The current Hyuuga heiress's name." Neji told her.

"... She's the heiress of your clan and your younger cousin, how do you not know her name?" the waitress asked, surprised that the Hyuuga prodigy doesn't know the Hyuuga heiress's name.

"Ano... So what's her name?" Neji asked the waitress, embarrassed that he has to ask a waitress what a famous figure's/his younger cousin's name is.

"Hanabi Hyuuga." Ayame answered.

"Hanabi! That's what her name is! I was so close." Neji said.

Ayame resisted the strong urge to reply with a sarcastic remark.

"Keep telling yourself that, Captain Neji." Sai sarcastically remarked for Ayame, putting on his signature [fake] smile.

"Shut up, ano... Nevermind, just shut up!" Neji responded, not even knowing the name of the person he's been having a conversation with.

"You don't even know _my _name. Some prodigy... I fear for the Hyuuga clan's future." Sai replied.

"I was never good with remembering names, damn it!" Neji argued back.

"How do you even remember your own name, Captain Neji?"

"Stop calling me that!" Neji told him, getting very annoyed.

"But if I didn't, you might forget your name, and we wouldn't want that to happen." Sai said with his annoying tone of honesty, his fake smile on his face.

Ayame found the argument taking place before her comical. The person in front of her wasn't the Hyuuga Prodigy, no, not at all. It was just plain Neji. **Hinata brought Neji out of his cold shell... Some girl she must be. **Neji once again slammed his face into the wooden counter in defeat, the pain numbed by the headache that he already had-which was seated right next to him.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to break the counter, Captain Neji." Sai informed him.

Neji only grunted a 'shut up' in reply.

"Tell me, Captain Neji, what does Hinata look like?" Sai asked in his usual tone.

At the mention of his love's name, Neji's head instantly shot upwards, like a bullet is launched after the trigger of the gun has been pulled.

"She's beautiful!" Neji almost yelled.

"Her long, dark hair cascades over her shoulders like a waterfall... Her eyes, beaming with her tenderness... And her lips, oh her lips... So soft and supple, each word flowing out of them so mellifluously into hearing." Neji passionately described, forgetting about everything else in the world as the image of Hinata's face appeared in her mind.

"Captain Neji, the waitress is still here, you know." Sai reminded him.

Ayame stared with wide eyes, muttering what sounded like 'Hyuugacest' like a broken record. Neji cleared his throat, reverting back into his usual stoic persona.

"Anyways, we must find a way to bring Hinata back to Konoha." Neji stated.

"Eh? Bring her back? Did she get lost?" Ayame asked, wondering what happened to Hinata.

"No, she ran away and joined the Akatsuki after Hiashi-sama banished her from the clan." Neji informed the waitress.

"That's horrible! How come nobody reacted to her disappearance?" Ayame asked, having the same reaction as the 5th Hokage did.

"I guess Hiashi-sama has kept it a secret all these years..." Neji answered.

"Everyone was wondering what happened to Hinata when Hanabi was made the heiress." the waitress stated.

"Can you do me a favor?" Neji asked the waitress.

"Sure, how may I help you?" Ayame answered in her 'customer service' tone.

"Spread the news, please." Neji requested from the waitress.

"Of course!" Ayame more than willingly complied.

"One more thing. The day Hinata was banished, Hiashi-sama took away her Byakugan." Neji added.

"You mean...?"

"He blinded her. With a kunai knife. And he was telling her how weak she was while doing so." Neji answered.

Ayame gasped in shock and horror. **That's so cruel!**

"I wish I stopped him..." Neji said, lowering his head back onto the comforting counter of the ramen shop.

After Neji said that, Sai whispered something into Ayame's ear that made her crack a smile. Ayame nodded to Sai.

"I hope you bring her back." Ayame said, trying to give him the best encouraging smile she could give.

However, her smile came out looking like any other 'customer service' smile. Envious girls would always accuse her of being fake because of this flaw.

"Me too..." Neji admitted.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Itachi returned to the Akatsuki base together before the sun dropped into the west sky. Hinata was relieved that she didn't have a coughing fit. Her condition was gradually becoming healthier, practically every second she spent being in the Akatsuki. She had a better appetite, less coughing fits, and no fatigue. She was just so happy to still be alive, which contradicted her life in Konoha which made her want to die.<p>

She opened up more when she was with Itachi, more than she'd ever expect she had the ability to. He never did the one thing that Hinata feared the most: judge her. It was because of this that she spoke of the truth, and only the truth, to him. Hinata used to be so paranoid, thinking everything that she said could be used against her. She lived a lie about who she really was, and what she really wanted.

All of that angst and suffering no longer exists inside of Hinata anymore. She was more confident and happier now. **Is that why they didn't recognize me, because I'm a whole different person now? **She was so glad she met Itachi. He saved her life.

* * *

><p><em>"You don't act like the man who killed his entire clan." Hinata stated, with a bit of curiosity embedded in her words.<em>

Did he know that he intervened something in her life?

_"And you don't act like the girl who used to be the Hyuuga heiress." Itachi replied._

Did he know how happy he made her?

_"Who are we, then?" Hinata humorously asked._

How many reasons did he give her to continue living?

_"Either really bad actors, or really good ones." Itachi answered, with a poetic playfulness in his answer._

A lot of reasons.

_"We live in a world of deceit, don't we?" Hinata questioned, more to herself than to Itachi._

They were so alike.

_"Yes, yes we do... We act to please the crowd. The affectation that we use to entertain them is what they think we are." Itachi told her, disappointed that his words were honest._

Yet so different.

_"Who exactly are we pleasing?" Hinata naively asked him._

He was cold, but he made her warm.

_"Society." Itachi laconically responded._

She savored the warmth, the sweet attachment she had for him.

_"No, not just society, Itachi-sama." Hinata said._

She knew it would fade, so she stayed away.

_"Ourselves." Hinata stated._

Those efforts to ignore it were in vain.

_"Why would we pretend to make ourself happy?" Itachi questioned._

How could she say it, though?

_"Because we're not satisfied with what we've become." Hinata answered, with that feeling of distance surrounding her._

To say 'I love you'.

_"What would a person want to become, though?" Itachi asked her._

She needed to know why.

_"I don't know." was all Hinata's answer was, but could you blame her for not knowing?_

So many reasons, but she didn't see how important they were.

_"Nobody knows." Itachi stated, turning his eyes towards the sky._

What if he didn't love her back?

_"We should return before the sun sets." Itachi told Hinata._

She was happy enough just being 'friends' with him.

_"Okay, Itachi-sama." Hinata replied._

Though they both knew they were always more than that.

* * *

><p>Before she knew it, Itachi was leading Hinata straight to her room as soon as they came back to the Akatsuki base. The second Itachi left the room, Hidan burst in. For the <em>second<em> time that week.

"You, me-my room, fucking now!" Hidan simply told her, roughly grabbing her hand as he dragged her to his room.

**What the hell? **Hinata couldn't find her tongue as she thought about what in the world Hidan wanted from her. **His room? **It was a possibility that he wanted to go through the process that humans used to reproduce, which is mainly used for orgasmic pleasure in most cases. Hinata blushed at the idea, and grabbed a kunai from her bed before she left.

It was only a matter of seconds that the two ended up in Hidan's room. It smelled strongly of death and...

"Is that vanilla?" Hinata asked, really confused.

"The fuck? No, just sit the hell down!" Hidan told her, almost sounding frantic.

Hinata sat down, on what she assumed was Hidan's bed. Everything happened so fast, she didn't know what to think of it all.

"So what do you want?" Hinata asked, getting right to the point.

Hinata gripped the kunai that was behind her back, feeling a sense of security by touching the cool metal surface.

"I fucking need help getting the damn money for the trip, because my fucking son-of-a-bitch-partner Deidara won't help me!" Hidan loudly told her.

"... Ano, why don't you ask Konan-chan or something?"

"'Cause the bitch is sleeping, and you're the only one that won't smack me upside the head just for fucking asking." Hidan replied.

"Um, okay." Hinata said, unsure of what to do.

"What's the fucking plan then, dammit?" Hidan desperately asked.

"Calm down, Hidan-senpai. Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna play ransom." Hinata firmly told him.

"What the fuck? Play ransom? Who the fuck are we going to kidnap?" Hidan questioned.

"How about the Hokage?" Hinata calmly suggested.

Hidan's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"The Hokage? The same bitch that's one of the Legendary Sannin? The same fucker that's the best medic and scariest bitch in the world?"

"Yeah, Tsunade." Hinata confirmed.

"Fuck yeah! Let's do it!" Hidan excitedly yelled, eager to accomplish the deed.

"Hidan-senpai really is arrogant... No, we won't kidnap the Hokage. We could, but it would lead to war, and we can't have war when we're visiting a hot springs, can we?" Hinata said to Hidan.

"Who the fuck are we going to fucking kidnap, then?" Hidan asked, growing impatient.

"Hanabi Hyuuga, current heiress of the Hyuuga clan." Hinata informed him.

"Got a grudge against those pole-up-the-ass Hyuugas?" Hidan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You can say that..." Hinata said, knowing that there's more to it.

"So we're going to fucking walk in, ask the bitch to come with us, leave the fucking note, fucking walk out, and wait for the damn money?" Hidan summarized.

"Bingo. Anything else you happen to want?" Hinata asked.

"Nah. Mind if I kill some fucking bitches while we're there?" the Jashinist asked.

"Only if I get to help." the blind girl replied.

"Hell yeah! My cheap-ass partner always bitches whenever I kill, that asshole." Hidan said loudly, glad that Hinata was nicer to him than Kakuzu was to him.

"Eh? It's more fun when someone dies, though." Hinata said to him, showing the side of her that enjoys a messy murder.

"I fucking know, huh?" the Jashin's follower agreed.

"We'll start the plan today after we're done planning." the former Hyuuga informed him.

"In fucking broad daylight?"

"Yup, they're more alert at night. Plus, I don't want to lose any sleep, and you don't either." Hinata explained.

"What time is it now?" Hinata asked.

"It's fucking 1:38 p.m." Hidan told her.

"Okay, so make the note, and I'll just relax in here. When the time comes, we'll head towards Konoha and initiate Operation: Ransom Game." Hinata instructed.

"You're a fucking genius." Hidan praised.

"And you're a fucking idiot..." Hinata muttered.

"What?" Hidan asked, hearing something that Hinata might have said.

"Nothing." Hinata replied.

"Okay, then. How much fucking money should we ask for?" Hidan questioned.

"$1 million." Hinata answered.

"Heh, why the fuck not?" Hidan said.

"You do know how to write, right?" Hinata questioned, doubting Hidan's intelligence.

"Of course I fucking do!" Hidan replied, annoyed at Hinata's question.

"Just making sure." Hinata stated, relieved.

Hidan wrote down the ransom note which read:

Dear Hyuuga bastards,

we have your bitch-of-an-heiress.

If you want her back, sucks for you fucking

bastards because we want fucking $1 million in 

exchange. Have the money in 2 days and meet us in

"Hey, where should we meet the bastards to get the money?" Hidan asked.

"Ano... Ichiraku Ramen." Hinata answered.

"A ramen shop? I guess I could go for some ramen..." Hidan said.

The ransom note now read:

Dear Hyuuga bastards,

we have your bitch-of-an-heiress.

If you want her back, sucks for you fucking

bastards because we want fucking $1 million in 

exchange. Have the money in 2 days and meet us in 

Ichiraku Ramen by sunset or else we'll fucking kill the bitch.

Who knows, the living shit might be already beat out of her. 

~Hidan + Hinata

Hidan read the note aloud, and Hinata gave a nod of approval. He quickly added something else to the note as a thought crept into his mind.

"And we're going to wear casual clothes. Not that people will recognize the Akatsuki or anything, I'm just tired of wearing a big cloak when it's sunny outside. We're not even doing anything Akatsuki-related, so it should be fine." Hinata added.

"Fucking fine with me. I don't own any fucking shirts, though." Hidan told her.

"Go shirtless, then. I don't care. You could be naked right now and I wouldn't even know." the blind ex-Hyuuga nonchalantly said to the Jashinist.

Hidan shrugged it off, and removed his cloak. Hinata also started to slowly remove her cloak. Zipping down the zipper, and taking it off completely. Hinata carelessly threw her cloak to some location, which happened to be Hidan's face. **WHAT THE FUCK? That fucking bitch threw her fucking cloak right in my fucking face! Ugh, calm the fuck down, she's fucking blind for Jashin-sama's sake, no need to fucking cuss that blind bitch off... **Hidan gaped at Hinata once he removed the clothing that was obstructing his path of vision.

"Expecting something more? You're such a pervert, Hidan-senpai." Hinata told him, feeling his staring eyes.

**Fucking HUGE tits... Damn sexy legs too... Makes me wonder what that bitch Konan is hiding under her cloak. **

"Let's just fucking start this shit already." Hidan stated, ignoring Hinata's insult.

"Alright, then." Hinata said, rising off of Hidan's bed.

* * *

><p>Hidan dragged Hinata towards the exit of the Akatsuki base.<p>

"Itachi-sama, Hidan-senpai and I are going to play ransom! We'll be back before nightfall!" Hinata yelled out, hoping that somehow Itachi will hear it, or at least someone else will hear it and tell Itachi about it.

Her shout echoed throughout the hideout, ensuring that everyone who was in the hideout heard it.

"You're pretty damn loud for a fucking small girl..." Hidan commented.

"No, it just echoes in here." Hinata denied.

The two exited the hideout, the radiant sun warming their skins.

"Damn, it's fucking bright... Isn't it supposed to be fucking fall? Dumbass weather." Hidan groused.

Hidan and Hinata walked at a fairly fast pace. It wasn't until 3 minutes into the trip that Hinata realized something. **...He hasn't let go of my hand, yet. Maybe he forgot. **

"Ano, Hidan-senpai..." Hinata started to say.

"What?"

"...You can let go, now." Hinata told him.

Hidan became aware of that fact he was still hauling Hinata towards their destination.

"I'll fucking let go when I fucking feel like it! We'll get the fuck there faster, anyways." Hidan responded, disguising his mistake.

**He's the exact opposite of Itachi-sama.**

"So you like touching blind, defenseless girls?" Hinata innocently asked, cunningly manipulating him into letting go of her hand.

The results were in Hinata's favor. Hidan let go of her hand, blushing furiously. He thanked Jashin that Hinata was blind.

"Just fucking keep up, dammit!" Hidan told Hinata.

"I'll race you there!" Hinata challenged, running towards Konoha.

"Bring it on, bitch!" Hidan yelled, accepting Hinata's challenge.

The two competed like kids would in a race to the slide in order to see who the faster one was. Both were equally at a disadvantage, Hidan with his scythe and Hinata with her sight.

"Am I 'fucking keeping up' well enough, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata taunted, running right next to Hidan.

She sped up more, passing Hidan by a good 20 feet.

"Like hell you are!" Hidan remarked, catching up to Hinata and eventually running in front of her.

In no time, Hidan and Hinata made it to Konoha.

"Who won?" Hinata asked, not even breaking a sweat.

"I... Fucking... Won..." Hidan claimed, panting, resting to catch his breath.

"Let's ask the village guards." Hinata suggested.

For once, the village guards were actually on-duty and awake. They had both witnessed the speedy competition.

"Who won?" Hinata asked the village guards.

"It was pretty close, but I'd say the girl made it a split second faster." the first guard answered.

"Do you two happen to be somehow associated with an organization called the Akatsuki?" the second guard interrogated.

"Eh? What's that?" the blind girl seemingly innocently questioned.

"Never heard of no shit called an Akatsuki." Hidan added, playing along.

"Okay, just tell us if you ever see any Akatsuki members around here." the guard on the right told the two, ignoring the fact that one of them was holding a dangerous weapon.

"Will do..." Hinata lied, letting Hidan pull her inside Konoha.

* * *

><p>"So where the fuck do those Hyuuga bastards live?" Hidan asked Hinata, unfamiliar with his surroundings.<p>

"It's been so long since I've last been here..." Hinata stated.

"The fuck? You and that fucking Uchiha were here just this morning!" Hidan loudly contradicted.

"You expect a blind girl to lead us there?" Hinata retorted.

"Tch, it's not like I fucking magically know every inch of this shitty village just because I have two eyes that work." Hidan replied.

A teenage girl with long blonde hair in a ponytail that holds the name of Ino just happened to be walking by. Ino was on the way to the flower shop when she saw the two arguing. As if by instinct, she went over to try to solve the couple's argument.

"Do you two need help with your relationship or something?" Ino asked, coming in between the blind girl and the Jashinist.

"The fuck? No, we're just fucking friends." Hidan replied, annoyed by the blonde.

"'_Just fucking friends_'? Is _that_ what you think we are?" Hinata loudly yelled at Hidan.

"First you drag me into your room by force, and now you just say we're just fucking friends! I thought we were more than that!" Hinata accusingly told them, her voice raising.

Hinata stormed off, her face covered with her hands.

"Baka!" Ino named Hidan, slapping the back of his head.

"Ouch! What the hell, bitch! I don't even know you, damn it!"

"Go after her, baka!" Ino told Hidan, pushing him towards Hinata's direction.

Hidan went after Hinata, confused at her bitch fit. When the Jashinist caught up to her, he turned her so that she was facing him. Hinata uncovered her face, revealing the smirk she had. Ino ran towards them, wanting to know what just happened.

"Fooled you, didn't I?" the blind Hinata said, unveiling the fact that the BF was just an act.

"You fucking bitch." Hidan said, a smile of relief on his face.

"Says the baka that fell for it." Hinata replied, laughing.

"I'll fucking get you for this, you bitch." Hidan promised.

"Oh no, whatever shall I do." Hinata sarcastically responded.

"Wait, so you two are just friends, right? It was just a prank?" Ino questioned.

"No shit, sherlocks." Hinata answered in place of Hidan.

"I don't throw bitch fits like some drama queen."

"Thank goodness... Say, you look kinda familiar." Ino said, in deep thought, trying to recall where she last saw Hinata's face.

"Are you a Hyuuga? Because you look like you have the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan." Ino asked Hinata.

"Quite the opposite, I'm blind. Which is why this guy was leading me around." Hinata answered, referring to Hidan.

"We're looking for the place where those Hyuuga bastards live, though. Happen to fucking know, blondie?" Hidan asked Ino.

"The main branch's house or the lower branch's house?" Ino questioned.

Hidan glanced at Hinata for assisstance.

"The main branch." Hinata told Ino.

"Okay, just keep going straight and take a left at the Hokage's office. Continue down that path and you'll be there." Ino directed.

"Thanks, bitch. Come on Hinata!" Hidan loudly said, leading Hinata.

"Tch, and you call _me _loud... Hidan-senpai, please stop pulling me so hard." Hinata complained.

"Hurry the fuck up, then!"

"It'd be easier to hurry if you stopped pulling so hard!"

**Hidan? Hinata? Blind? Not a Hyuuga? No, it's probably just someone else. Hinata would never act like that. Why are they going to the main branch of the Hyuuga clan, though? Nevermind, it's none of my business. **Ino shrugged it off, heading towards the flower shop.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe she didn't recognize me." Hinata stated.<p>

"You know that bitch?"

"Yeah, we took the Chuunin Exams together and were friends. Plus I'm sure that Neji already told the world about me leaving this village. She heard my name, for God's sake..."

"Che, some friend you got there. Fucking retard. Even _I _would fucking recognize you if I heard stuff about you." Hidan said, amazed at how smart the people in Konoha are.

"I know, right? I've changed a lot and all, and it's been like 4 years, but if a blind girl could recognize her old 'friend', then someone with normal vision should have been able to identify her old 'friend' at first sight..." Hinata ranted.

"Blondes can be so fucking retarded sometimes." Hidan stated.

"Mmmhmm..." Hinata agreed.

* * *

><p>When the two arrived at the Hyuuga clan's main branch's house's gates, the two Hyuuga guards welcomed Hinata. The only thing that mattered to them was if the person had the Hyuuga eyes or not, and did not take a glance at Hinata's forehead protector.<p>

"My turn to lead! I know this place inside and out." Hinata announced, hauling Hidan towards the side of the house.

"Stop fucking pulling so damn hard!" Hidan whined.

"Now you know how I feel when you lead me around." Hinata replied.

"Fine, then. I'll try to be more fucking gentle, _Hime-sama._" Hidan responded, sarcasm leaking out of Hinata's nickname.

"Arigato, Hidan-senpai."

Hinata halted as they reached a wall. She performed a technique similar to the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms technique, and the wall slided to the left, revealing a pathway. Hinata pulled a shocked Hidan inside the newly revealed pathway, the wall sliding back into its original position.

"There's only 2 people I know of that could perform that move, which requires the Byakugan. Hiashi and Neji. You learn a lot after training yourself in a forest for 4 years." Hinata explained.

"Damn, it's fucking dark in here. I can't see a damn thing!" Hidan complained.

"..."

Silence fell upon the two, Hinata waiting for Hidan to think about what he just said.

"... Oh... Well, I'm fucking sorry." Hidan apologized, remembering Hinata was blind.

"Only those with the Byakugan could see in here. The walls have chakra in them, so they're pretty stable." Hinata told him, knocking on one of the walls.

"This is my first time using the secret entrance... I wonder what's in here." Hinata thought out loud.

"WHAT THE FUCK? THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FIRST TIME IN THIS HELLHOLE?" Hidan yelled.

"I hope this place is soundproof... Yes, it's my first time in here, Hidan-senpai." Hinata confirmed.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Hidan-senpai, calm down. Just follow the walls. Yes, it's possible to get lost, and there may be traps in store for us, but you never know until you try, right?"

"If you fucking say so..." Hidan said, his fears uneased, but calmed by Hinata's courage.

"It's not like I can die or anything..."

* * *

><p>After a bit of walking, the two finally arrived at the end of the pathway, which held a door. Hinata felt around for some kind of button, and pushed down on a brick that caused the wall to slide, letting the two out of the dark, stuffy pathway.<p>

"Third door on the right."

"Third door on the right..." Hidan muttered, searching for the room.

The young Hyuuga heiress was sitting on her bed, staring at the ceiling when the blind girl and Jashinist entered.

"Nee-chan?" Hanabi said, turning her attention towards her former older sister.

She was one of the few people that knew about Hinata's banishment. Hanabi was devastated when she learned that her older sister would be gone forever. Hiashi ordered her to never speak of it to anyone, and she never did. Hanabi sensed someone heading towards her room, but she assumed it was just a servant.

"Long time, no see, Hanabi-chan. Though that'd be taken literally for me." Hinata said, a small smile showing on her face.

**Is that really Nee-chan? She doesn't stutter anymore... **Hanabi instantly ran up to Hinata and gave her a big hug.

"I missed you so much, Nee-chan... You've changed a lot..."

"I'm not a Hyuuga, Hanabi-chan." Hinata reminded Hanabi.

"But you're still my Nee-chan." Hanabi replied, tears soaking Hinata's kimono.

"Well ain't that fucking adorable..." Hidan said with a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes at the reunion.

"Whatever, Hidan-senpai. I know why we're here, I'm the one who came up with the plan." Hinata told Hidan, comforting Hanabi, shooting a misguided death glare at a wall.

"Plan?" Hanabi questioned, wiping her tears away, an expression of confusion sprawling on the young Hyuuga's face.

"Hanabi-chan, we're gonna kidnap you right now, so you might want to pack some clothes and a toothbrush. Hidan-senpai, go leave the note somewhere noticeable." Hinata informed, completely relaxed.

"You're gonna kidnap me?" Hanabi echoed.

"Yes! Anything to get out of this crappy place! God has answered my prayers!" Hanabi exclaimed in joy, dramatically dropping to her knees and raising her arms out to the ceiling.

"The fuck?" Hidan questioned, pinning the note on a wall with a kunai he found on the Hyuuga heiress's bed.

"Being the Hyuuga heiress sucks when someone like Hiashi is your dad." Hinata explained.

"Not that, dumbass! Why the fuck did you tell her that we're going to fucking kidnap her? It's not even fucking kidnapping anymore!"

"I'm sorry, Hidan-senpai. Did you want to knock her out and carry her to the base by yourself?" Hinata asked Hidan in a fake understanding voice.

"Fuck no... You got fucking persuasive skills..."

"Can you tone down on your cussing? There's a child in the room." Hinata requested.

"I do _not_ fucking cuss, damn it!" Hidan argued, all evidence against him.

The sound of Hanabi zipping her packed bag closed was heard.

"Hanabi-chan, does Hidan-senpai cuss?"

"In every sentence he said so far..." Hanabi said, picking up her bag.

"Fuck you." Hidan cursed, glaring at Hinata.

"Maybe later." Hinata responded, a suggestive smirk on her face.

"Okay, I can handle the fucking cussing fucking after fucking every fucking word, but I do not need to hear about you two's plans this evening." Hanabi stated, drawing the boundaries.

"Tch, she's just fucking playing... You Hyuugas really do have a pole up your ass." Hidan replied.

"No, I'm serious, Hidan-senpai." Hinata told Hidan, her tone austere.

"..."

The room became mute, an aroused look on Hidan's face, and a disgusted look on Hanabi's.

"I'm just kidding... Come on, let's get out of here." Hinata confirmed, gesturing for Hanabi and Hidan to leave.

Hanabi let out a sigh of relief. **She's a good actress, I really thought she **_**was **_**serious. **Hidan's face altered into one of disappointment. **Tch, I wouldn't have minded if that bitch **_**was**_** fucking serious with _those_ legs...**

The trio left the room without another word, Hinata ironically leading Hidan and Hanabi.

* * *

><p>"This place brings back memories." Hinata stated, recalling the past.<p>

Hinata knocked over an expensive-looking vase that happened to be on a table, next to her.

"Rot in hell, Hiashi!" Hinata yelled into the empty hallway.

"And that bastard Kakuzu called _me_ destructive..." Hidan remarked.

"That Hiashi bitch gets that a lot, doesn't he?" Hidan asked.

"Yeah, more than once a day. He never does anything about it since it happens so often." Hanabi answered, smirking to herself.

Hinata led the two to the wall where Hidan and Hinata entered through.

"You think it's a two-way path?" Hinata asked, wishing she could get a second opinion from Sasori right now.

"It's possible..." Hinata said, filling in the silence that Sasori would have filled in if he were there, and kicking the wall.

* * *

><p>Back at the Akatsuki base's living room, Sasori suddenly stopped the sentence he was saying to his young, blonde partner.<p>

"What's wrong, Sasori no danna, un?" Deidara questioned the elder.

"I don't know, but I feel a disturbance in the universe." Sasori told his partner.

"Do you think someone stole your line, un?" Deidara asked, wondering what disturbed Sasori.

"It's possible..."

* * *

><p>A few seconds after Hinata kicked the wall, it finally revealed the hiddan pathway. The three entered the darkness, the wall sliding back into its original spot.<p>

"Nee-chan, how did you...?" Hanabi questioned, surprised that Hinata knows more about the Hyuuga's main house than her.

"Hanabi-chan, have you ever really explored your own house?" Hinata asked.

Hanabi realized that what Hinata said was true. She knew where all the rooms were, but she never bothered to see if there were any secret tunnels or pathways. She only _thought_ she knew every inch of her house, and never used her Byakugan to thoroughly check what the walls were concealing.

"Hanabi-chan, activate your Byakugan." Hinata told her.

Hanabi did as she was told, feeling foolish for not thinking of using her Byakugan before. **Nee-chan, you're a much better leader now.** She was surprised at what she saw.

"This pathway... It leads to every room in the house!" Hanabi informed them.

"It does? Lead us out of here, then, Hanabi-chan." Hinata requested.

"You didn't know?" Hanabi asked, confused at why Hinata would use the secret pathway if she didn't know what was hiding in it.

"Damn right she didn't know! Pissed me off when she said it was her fucking first time in this shitty hall. We could've been lost for hours, dammit..." Hidan grumbled as Hanabi took the lead.

"So? I'm used to being lost in the dark, walking towards who-knows-where, wondering what'll become of me. That's been my entire life so far." Hinata responded, annoyed at Hidan's complaints.

"Tch, this is what I get for letting a fucking blind girl lead me here..." Hidan muttered.

"Ouch! What the fuck?" Hidan suddenly yelled out, feeling a pain in his knee.

"That was _not_ me." Hinata denied, completely innocent this time.

"Oh, my bag must've slipped..." Hanabi sarcastically said.

"Dear Jashin-sama, save me from these demon bitches!"

"Ouch! Damn kid!" Hidan yelled out, feeling a greater pain in his arm, suspecting Hanabi as the culprit.

"No, that was me this time. You're kinda irritating, Hidan-senpai." Hinata admitted.

"Damn, you got some arm there..." Hidan commented, rubbing his right arm to ease the pain.

* * *

><p>The heiress, blind girl, and Jashinist safely made it out of the lightless pathway. No one particularly led the other two. All three were simply walking together.<p>

"I think Neji-kun went crazy after you left..." Hanabi stated.

"Why do you think that?" Hinata questioned, half-knowing the answer.

"He asked me to call him 'Neji-nii-san', like you usually do, a few months after you left. I agreed, but it felt really awkward trying to take your place. Nobody could ever replace you, Nee-chan." Hanabi answered.

"Isn't that the Hyuuga bastard you dumped after beating the shit out of him?" Hidan asked Hinata.

"He asked you out? And you beat him in a battle?" Hanabi questioned, really surprised.

"No, he confessed his love for me and I never answered. Yeah, he followed us after I got breakfast with Itachi-sama the other day, and beating him in battle was part of my training. The battle lasted for less than 5 minutes." Hinata confirmed.

"He loves you? How come you never answered?" the Hyuuga heiress wanted to know.

"Apparently. I don't know." Hinata said, secretly knowing the answers to both questions.

"Wait, Itachi?" Hanabi asked, wondering if she was talking about the famous Itachi who killed his entire clan, sparing his younger brother.

"What the fuck is with all the questions?"

"Yup, the same Uchiha that killed his entire clan, sparing only his younger brother." Hinata verified, ignoring Hidan.

"Isn't he in the Akatsuki?" Hanabi questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and so am I, now." Hinata told Hanabi nonchalantly.

"_You _joined the _Akatsuki_?" Hanabi questioned, shocked at how much her nee-chan changed.

"Not exactly. Itachi-sama and Kisame-senpai came to me, and I made the first move in the fight. I had a coughing fit and passed out. Next thing I knew, I'm dressed in a cloak and a member of the Akatsuki." Hinata explained.

"So that's how you fucking joined! I thought that Uchiha was some kind of fucking rapist and brought home his newest victim." Hidan exclaimed in realization.

"Hidan-senpai, how did you join?" the blind girl asked, curious.

"_Duuude!_ I have no fucking idea! I got fucking drunk and woke up with a hangover, in the Akatsuki cloak thinking, 'that must've been some crazy night'." Hidan told the two, Hinata laughing.

"You _would _join like that..." Hinata commented.

"So are you two... Like a couple or something?" Hanabi questioned.

"What makes you think that?" Hinata asked.

"Well, you two were talking about sex, arguing like a couple, so yeah."

"Oh my Jashin, this bitch fucking tricked me into thinking that she thought we _were _a couple, earlier!" Hidan recalled.

"You totally had that coming, Hidan-senpai. Daring Deidara-senpai to say that to Itachi-sama and me..."

"Bitch, you were laughing, too!"

"That's because I found it funny."

"Then why the fuck did you have to get revenge on me, dammit?"

"I don't know, I got bored."

* * *

><p>Hinata and Hidan continued their argument as the three walked out of Konoha, the guards waving as they left.<p>

"So, no, we're not a couple. We're just friends with benefits."

"Friends with benefits...?" Hanabi said, getting the wrong idea.

"The fuck? Don't fucking describe it like that! The dirty-minded kid will get the fucking wrong idea!"

"It's fun when people get the wrong idea, though..." Hinata told him.

"Fuck, that's true... Kid, we're just friends, okay bitch?" Hidan told Hanabi.

"Uh, okay. Nee-chan, can you help me with my training?" Hanabi asked Hinata.

"Of course, Hanabi-chan. I can teach you the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms technique." Hinata offered.

"You can? I thought Hiashi blinded you when you got banished."

"You don't need the Byakugan for that technique, just the Hyuuga knowledge." Hinata explained.

"Wow, you're really smart, Nee-chan."

"So what the fuck am I supposed to do while you two are busy?"

"I don't know, watch or something? You can do whatever you want, Hidan-senpai."

"Tch, fine with me, bitch..."

* * *

><p>Hinata stopped at a clearing in the forest, where few rays of sunlight filtered down from the leaves and branches above. Hidan went off to go kill some forest animals. Hanabi set her bag down.<p>

"So, the main point of the technique is to hit 64 tenketsu in your opponent's chakra pathway system. Activate the Byakugan, strike two, strike another two, strike four, strike eight, strike sixteen, and strike thirty-two. Add that all together, and it makes 64. After that, your opponent's chakra is cut off. If you memorize where the tenketsu are in the human body, then you won't need the Byakugan. It's kinda like the Gentle First, and you have the same stance." Hinata explained.

"How'd you learn all that?"

"I watched how Neji did it. I've never actually used it before, really."

"So, now that you know that stuff, practice on me."

"Right now?"

"Yup. In battle, sometimes you have to make up new techniques in a few seconds. Use what you know against your enemies." Hinata explained.

Both assumed the Gentle Fist stance, and Hanabi activated her Byakugan. Hanabi focused her eyes on the tenketsu, and began to strike. Hinata skillfully blocked it, and grabbed both of Hanabi's wrist, gently pinning them behind her back, in one fluid motion. **Nee-chan, you're strong.**

"Remember to not let your opponents predict your moves." Hinata said with a smile.

* * *

><p>They continued their training, with Hanabi slowly getting the hang of it.<p>

"You're doing great, Hanabi-chan! You learn so fast." Hinata complimented, grinning as she blocked the younger girl's strikes.

"That's because I have a good teacher like you, Nee-chan." Hanabi replied, trying to find an opening in the elder's defense.

It felt so nice to Hanabi to get a compliment on her strength. With Hiashi, all she got was a neutral nod or an insult. Suddenly, Hanabi blacked out, falling unconscious onto the forest ground.

"Hanabi-chan? You stopped, is something wrong?"

No response.

"... Hanabi-chan?"

**Crap, I can't even feel her chakra signature. What happened?**

"Hanabi-chan?"

"..."

"Ano, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata nervously called out, unsure of what to do.

More silence.

"Anyone?"

Hinata kneeled down, grabbing the Hyuuga's wrist. A steady pulse, good. She shook Hanabi, trying to wake her up from the strange sleep she was in. She couldn't have been attacked, if she was, she would've seen it coming with her Byakugan and dodged it, or Hinata would've sensed the enemy and attacked the source. Hanabi didn't have any disease that would've caused her sudden fainting, she was as healthy as a horse.

Hinata sat down next to the young girl's body, and waited until Hidan came back. She couldn't get help, and she wasn't a medical ninja, so she couldn't do any kind of analysis. All Hinata could do now is wait... and wait... and wait...

**You'd think that your patience would be better after spending 4 years of your life waiting for something exciting to happen. Good things come to those who wait, right? But if it's too late...**

* * *

><p><strong>Reader: WTF happened to Hanabi?<strong>

**Me: Maybe if you reviewed more, you'd find out sooner.**

**Reader: Meanie... **


	7. Chapter 7

**Yes, the last chapter was one of those chapters you write when you're really high on crack, and think it's a good idea to post something like that for a Drama/Romance story... But it did have a purpose!**

* * *

><p>Hanabi woke up, surrounded by darkness. Everything was pitch black. The only light that was shed in the room came from the window, which had a soft glow from the moon. <strong>What happened? Nee-chan was training me, and I don't know what happened after that. <strong>She noticed that there was someone in a black, hooded cloak near the window. The figure was holding a triple-bladed scythe.

"Where am I?" Hanabi asked the figure.

The figure only faced the Hyuuga, the face covered with shadow. It used the scythe to etch one word on the window. _Dead. _Hanabi started to panic, trying to activate her Byakugan to see if it was just a genjutsu. She couldn't, so she tried to pinch herself since it could just be a nightmare. Hanabi didn't wake up.

The figure started to take slow steps towards Hanabi, not speaking a word. Hanabi froze, unsure of what to do. **How did I die? **A chill ran up her spine as the figure reached out to her. She let out a blood-curdling scream, loud enough to wake up a dormant volcano. Sadistic laughter rang throughout the room, coming from the figure, and more from other sources.

* * *

><p>The laughter sounded sadistic at first, but it sounded more like laughter from a really good joke after a few seconds. The lights went on, revealing a room of Akatsuki members, all laughing, except for Itachi and Sasori. They both seemed like they were entertained by the scene, though.<p>

"Oh my fucking Jashin, that was way too damn funny! I'm gonna die from the laughter!" Hidan spoke with laughter, taking off his hood.

"Ahaha! Hina-chan, you're a genius!" Konan commented, wiping away the tears of laughter.

Hanabi was entirely perplexed by the situation she was in at the moment.

"I'm still not going to pay for a window replacement..." Kakuzu muttered, still chuckling.

"Eh? Itachi, how come you're not laughing?" Kisame asked his partner.

"Yes, I was amused, but I do not take pleasure in other's pain," Itachi admitted, his face devoid of emotion.

"Says the guy who killed his entire clan..." Hinata commented.

"Oooohhh..." the entire room said, with an 'Oh snap!' from Hidan.

"You just got _burned _by a blind girl," Sasori observed.

The entire room, in exception of Hanabi, Itachi, and Sasori, began to engage into another fit of laughter.

"It's okay, Itachi-sama, we're just kidding around," Hinata told Itachi.

"Can I _please _know what's happening right now?" Hanabi interrupted, confused.

"Well, Hinata pulled a really good prank on you, and then burned Itachi," Pein explained.

"I know that, but why am I here? Why was I knocked out earlier?" Hanabi questioned.

"Well, it all started when your mother and father decided to get 'intimate'..." the white side of Zetsu started to explain.

**"Stupid!" black Zetsu scolded his other side.**

"Dumbass! She'll never fucking learn like that! Look kid, your mom and bastard of a dad wanted to fuck, and forgot the- OUCH!" Hidan began to explain.

"Damn it, Kakuzu-bastard! What the bloody fuck was that for?" Hidan yelled, rubbing the back of his head.

"She doesn't mean _that, _you idiot! Hinata, you explain it," Kakuzu told her.

"Well, we'll get to the birds and bees talk later. We were training, you got knocked out, Hidan-senpai found us and led us back to the base. I had to carry you and he had to carry your bag, and he kept whining, so I told him I'd make it up for him later. Sasori-senpai did a thorough analysis, and couldn't find out how you got knocked out, but mentioned that you'd be unconscious until nighttime. So, I decided to make it up to Hidan-senpai with the prank that I just pulled on you. Your face was priceless."

* * *

><p>Hanabi didn't even care about the epic prank that was just pulled on her. She had way too many questions in her head.<p>

"Why can't I activate my Byakugan?" Hanabi questioned.

"You can't activate your Byakugan? That's not good," Sasori told her.

"Is it serious, Sasori-senpai?" Hinata asked, showing concern in her tone.

"It's possible..." Sasori replied.

Hinata sighed, disappointed.

"Well, time to lay down some ground rules," Hinata told Hanabi.

"If you ever regain your ability to use the Byakugan, you are _never _going to be allowed to spy on the people living in this place while they're in the shower, getting dressed, etc. I don't care how sexy they are, if I don't get to see them naked, then neither will you."

The room once again burst into laughter.

"This may seem funny, but I am dead serious," Hinata said in an earnest tone.

"If I ever get complaints of people getting spied on, then I am going to use my sources to spread the word to every village in the world," Hinata guaranteed.

"Like how you spread the word of you leaving Konoha and joining the Akatsuki?" Hanabi asked.

"Exactly."

"How far has that rumor spread?" Itachi questioned.

"Pretty far. Neji-kun told me that all three Legendary Sannin know about it, and that the Hokage is going to inform the other villages about it, too," Hanabi answered.

"Yet that bitch that was supposed to be Hinata's 'old friend' didn't know shit about her," Hidan commented.

"That's because she's blonde, Hidan-senpai," Hinata replied.

"You mean Ino-chan?" Hanabi asked.

"Yeah... Were you stalking me 4 years ago?"

"I was just _curious._"

Everyone took a step back from Hanabi.

"See, this is why I had to lay down the rules of not spying on the other people in this place. You made an entire team of ruthless killers back away, that's how queer you are."

* * *

><p>"I've just noticed... Hinata hasn't even been in the Akatsuki for a week and she already has a reputation, burned Itachi, kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress, got Hidan under control, and has the Hyuuga prodigy madly in love with her," the leader of the Akatsuki brought up.<p>

"Plus, she beat up the Hyuuga prodigy," Konan added.

"She's probably the most accomplished person I've ever heard of, un," Deidara said.

The room unanimously agreed with the blonde bomber.

"I wouldn't have gotten this far, though, if it weren't for this guy, right here," Hinata said, her thumb pointing to her left.

"..."

"...That's a dresser, Hinata..." Itachi informed the blind girl.

"Really? I could've sworn I felt you right next to me..." Hinata said.

"Anyways, I meant Itachi-sama. I'd still be in a forest, wandering towards who-knows-where, if it weren't for him."

Everyone gave Itachi Uchiha a round of applause, with Hinata still wondering where he was. Hanabi was kind of surprised that the man who killed his entire clan helped her nee-chan become so accomplished. She was surprised that the Akatsuki was friendlier than her own family. **No wonder Nee-chan joined the Akatsuki and won't come back to Konoha... I don't feel like going back, either.**

* * *

><p>Back in Konoha, Shino and Kiba, with Akamaru, were hanging out near a large oak tree near a river under the moonlight. Kiba was sitting, leaning against the trunk of the tree with his arms crossed behind his head, Akamaru curled next to him. Shino was standing, using the tree for support. It felt so awkward without Hinata around, and depressing to know that she'll never be around anymore.<p>

"Man, this freaking sucks without Hinata!" Kiba finally spoke up.

"It's because we failed to help her in her time of need. In fact, she'd still be here if we helped her," Shino replied.

"The signs were all around us. The shyness, the running, the hiding, the knowledge that her clan hated her..."

Kiba stood up, and looked Shino in the eyes, technically shades.

"Hinata's gone, though. Like Sasuke," Kiba told Shino, facing the cold, hard facts.

"She was _never_ like Sasuke," Shino snapped at Kiba.

"Sasuke was on a path of revenge. Hinata was on a path of sorrow. She can still come back, she just has nowhere to come back to."

"Would it be better to leave her alone, though? I mean, she has a lot on her mind," Kiba reasoned.

"Leave her alone? Leave her in the cold? The very same thing we did to her while she was still here? That's _exactly_ why she left. She joined an evil organization! She went through _hell_ because she was left alone," Shino objected, raising his voice for the first time.

It took a few seconds before Kiba realized that his comrade was right.

"Happiness from friends, sadness from solitude..." Kiba muttered, quoting something that Hinata once said.

"Exactly."

"Do you think she's happier in the Akatsuki than she was in Konoha?" Kiba asked, looking at the sky.

Shino sighed.

"Probably..."

* * *

><p>Tenten and Rock Lee just finished with a training session, and were sitting on a bench in the streets of Konoha.<p>

"He loves her..." Tenten stated, looking at the ground.

"Huh?" Lee asked, not knowing what Tenten was talking about.

"Neji," Tenten answered.

"Oh. As a cousin, though, right Tenten?"

Tenten shook her head in response.

"No... It was more than that..."

Nobody knew what to say for a few minutes.

"Well... Hinata was always nice to him, to everyone, no matter what. His youth must not care about the boundaries of blood relation," Lee answered truthfully.

Tenten sighed, resting her head on the arm of the bench.

"Should we help him?" Tenten questioned.

"I do not know. It is just that... She might be happier in the Akatsuki than in Konoha. They might be able to understand her youth better than we do."

"That's not right, though..." Tenten replied.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sakura ate a steaming hot dinner at Ichiraku Ramen.<p>

"Hey, you know Hinata Hyuuga? The ex-heiress of the Hyuuga clan?" Ayame asked the two.

"Yeah... She left Konoha and joined the Akatsuki..." Sakura glumly answered.

"Oh, so you do know. Pretty harsh to blind your own daughter while banishing her..."

"Yeah..." Naruto replied, becoming depressed.

He began to think about what Neji said before. Being told you're weak, hated by your own family, hiding in fear for most of your life, being blinded and banished from your clan... **How did she keep all of that inside for so long?**

"So I guess you heard about the Hyuuga prodigy getting beat to a pulp by the ex-Hyuuga ex-heiress," Ayame assumed.

Naruto and Sakura almost choked on their food.

"She _what?_" Sakura and Naruto simultaneously asked in shock.

"So you didn't hear?"

"Well, a few days ago or something, Hinata was in Konoha, and Neji followed her. They fought, and she won. While she was leaving, he confessed his love for her, but she kept on walking," Ayame told the two.

**The same girl that was weak and afraid, that lost to Neji in the Chuunin Exams... That girl beat Neji- a jounin- to a pulp?**

"She must've gotten really strong," Naruto responded.

"That's so crazy, everyone thought she was so weak," Sakura commented.

"Did you think she was weak?" Ayame asked the two.

The discussion paused. They knew that they didn't, but a small part of them always pitied and looked down on Hinata. Clearly, they underestimated her. Plus she's blind now, a disadvantage that should have encouraged her to quit being a ninja altogether. The blind vs. the Byakugan, and the blind won...

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered.

"No, Naruto. She's not like Sasuke," Sakura replied.

"Their pain... They know what it's like to have a family, and know what it's like to lose them... To be misunderstood..." Naruto told her.

"Did she try to kill Neji in the fight?" Sakura asked Ayame.

"No, I was told that she said she was sorry and at the 'point of no return'," Ayame answered.

Sakura sighed, her appetite lost.

"Sasuke is at the point of no return, too..." Naruto murmured.

"Is he sorry?" Ayame questioned.

"I... don't know..." Naruto answered.

"D'ya think she's happy in the Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, stirring the contents of her ramen with her chopsticks.

"Happier than when she was here..." Naruto answered, staring into his own bowl of ramen.

* * *

><p>Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were at the BBQ, eating grilled meat.<p>

"You shouldn't have said that, Ino," Shikamaru said to Ino.

"Say what?" Ino asked.

"Said to Neji to let Hinata go. Weren't you listening? He loves her," Shikamaru reminded the blonde.

"There's nothing we can do, though," Ino replied, taking a bite out of some beef.

"What about Sasuke, then? Why do we chase after him? Neji was right. Everyone tried their best to keep Sasuke from leaving, and Hinata was suffering in the dark. Nobody told her to not leave Konoha, she didn't have any bonds to cut, either," Shikamaru replied.

Chouji stuffed an entire plate of meat into his mouth, thinking about his friends are talking about.

"She loved Naruto, though, and Sakura and I were her friends," Ino responded.

"Friends don't let friends suffer alone," Chouji told her.

There was a tense silence, all three begging for it to be broken. It lasted a few minutes until Shikamaru finally spoke up.

"Did you care about her?"

"Yeah," Ino answered.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"You didn't care hard enough..."

The grill sizzled as Chouji laid more meat on it, to try to fill the empty silence.

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah, I saw this girl in Konoha today. She looked like a Hyuuga, but told me she was blind. I overheard that her name was Hinata," Ino brought up.<p>

"Why didn't you tell Neji? That probably _was _Hinata!" Shikamaru almost yelled.

"I-I don't know! I wasn't sure, so I didn't tell him," Ino defended herself.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru whispered under his breath, massaging his forehead.

"Well, what was she doing?" Chouji calmly asked Ino.

"She and this guy named Hidan were looking for the Hyuuga's main house," Ino answered.

"We have to tell him. Now." Shikamaru urgently told the two.

The three asked for their check, and Shikamaru generously paid for the entire meal. The three burst out of the door of the BBQ, searching for the Hyuuga prodigy.

* * *

><p>Although the night was still young, the moon was high in the sky, pressuring the trio. They finally found Neji pacing back and forth in front of the Hyuuga's lower branch house, a deep look of worry carved into his face.<p>

"Neji, Ino saw Hinata today with a man named Hidan, looking for the Hyuuga's main house..." Shikamaru immediately told Neji.

Neji took a glance at the three, and handed Shikamaru a note.

Dear Hyuuga bastards,

we have your bitch-of-an-heiress.

If you want her back, sucks for you fucking

bastards because we want fucking $1 million in 

exchange. Have the money in 2 days and meet us in 

Ichiraku Ramen by sunset or else we'll fucking kill the bitch.

Who knows, the living shit might be already beat out of her. 

~Hidan + Hinata

P.S. Your clan is screwed.

Shikamaru stared at the note in shock, and showed it to Ino and Chouji. For one thing, they were surprised at how much profanity was in the note, obviously written by Hidan, as Hinata was blind and would never write a note like that.

"Neji, I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's not your fault... Hanabi is probably safe since she's with Hinata. It's just... Something strange is going on," Neji told her, thinking hard.

Neji's heart beat faster every time he read that line. **"Your clan is screwed." It's like ...a warning.**

* * *

><p>At the same time in the Akatsuki base, Hinata and Itachi were in the kitchen, sitting at the table. Hanabi was advised to get some rest, which she gladly did.<p>

"Hinata, what exactly are you planning?" Itachi questioned the blind girl.

"What do you mean, Itachi-sama?"

"I think you know what I mean."

* * *

><p>"You're right. Just think about it, the news of Hiashi blinding and banishing Hinata, the fact that she was able to beat the Hyuuga prodigy to a pulp- which leads people to question why Hiashi would banish her, and now the Hyuuga heiress is kidnapped, with a demand of a large amount of money..." Ino listed.<p>

"Where'd you hear about Hinata beating me to a pulp?" Neji questioned.

"I heard from Sakura, who heard from Ayame," Ino answered.

**Sai, you bastard... **Neji then remembered that little outburst he had at Ichiraku Ramen. **Oh God, I was so out of character... That will NEVER happen ever again.**

* * *

><p>Hinata smiled at Itachi, with a strange glint in her eyes.<p>

"Dip your finger in the piranha tank, and get ripped to shreds," Hinata simply answered.

Itachi looked at Hinata, understanding her intentions. **Revenge.**

* * *

><p>"Hinata's going to put an end to the Hyuuga clan," Shikamaru whispered, loud enough to hear.<p>

"What? No, she couldn't possibly... I mean, it all just has to be a coincidence," Chouji argued.

"It's true, though. She has a good reason, and I can't help but to agree with her. The Hyuuga clan was always despicable," Neji told them from experience.

"Is it possible for it to be prevented?" Ino asked.

"I don't think so... The pieces are all in place. Even if the mastermind is killed, the plan would still work out in the end. All she has to do is take down the Hyuuga clan one strike at a time, and she wins the game," Shikamaru answered.

"Hinata... is able to outwit Shikamaru..." Chouji stated in disbelief.

**Hinata is a genius...?**

* * *

><p>"Hinata, do you hate the Hyuuga clan?" Itachi asked.<p>

"Not the entire clan, but most of the clan, yes," Hinata replied.

"I guess I might be going too far by trying to mess up the entire clan. Maybe I should mess up all of the clans in the world. That could be my new hobby," Hinata joked.

"You actually could if you wanted to," Itachi told Hinata.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm not going to take out my pain on people who never caused it," Hinata assured him.

Itachi looked into Hinata's eyes to see if what she said was the truth. Her expression was unreadable; half serious, half joking; half honest, half lying. Itachi wondered if it might just be his vision, as his eyesight was getting blurry, though he's usually able to read people's expressions at the very least. Hinata was so mysterious and intriguing to him. He knew so much about her, yet so little.

* * *

><p>"This is all my fault..." Neji claimed, his palm resting on his forehead.<p>

"We all share the blame, Neji," Ino told him.

"I had the biggest part in it, though. I was there when Hinata was banished, I spread the news about Hinata, I knew how much she was suffering... This is why I want to bring her back. I want to protect her..."

"Why won't anyone help me?" Neji repeated, becoming a mess of emotions.

No words were spoken after Neji asked the rhetorical question. With no response, Neji stomped off, slamming the door of the Hyuuga's lower house.

"What a troublesome situation..." Shikamaru commented.

"Shouldn't we tell Asuma-sensei or Tsunade-sama about this?" Ino asked.

"That can wait until tomorrow. It's already late," Shikamaru told them.

The three went their separate ways without another word. They felt guilty, but not guilty enough to help.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, more Akatsuki crack... Then some heavy stuff from Konoha. Anyways, please review! Any ideas given to me shall be gladly appreciated.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is really long... **

**Why did I make it so long? **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**P.S. Sorry for the out of character stuff...  
><strong>

* * *

><p>The next morning, things went slightly different at the Akatsuki base. Hanabi, being used to actually waking up in the morning, found Hinata's room. Hinata, on the other hand, was used to sleeping in, along with the other Akatsuki members.<p>

"Nee-chan, wake up," Hanabi urged Hinata.

Hinata groaned in response, and turned her back towards Hanabi.

"Wake up, Nee-chan!" Hanabi requested, filling in her role nicely as the annoying younger sister.

With no response, Hanabi began to shake Hinata.

"Nee-chan!" Hanabi whispered.

"Nee-chaaann..." she whined.

Hanabi began to repeat that same line, determined to get her nee-chan to wake up. A few seconds later, Hinata could not take any more of Hanabi's nonsense. She grabbed a kunai knife that was under her pillow, and pinned Hanabi on the ground in one swift movement.

"Shut the hell up, or I'll fucking shove this kunai knife down your throat!" Hinata threatened loudly, not too happy about having her precious sleep taken away from her.

"I-I'm sorry, Nee-chan, I just wanted to spend more time with you..." Hanabi whimpered, starting to cry.

"Aww... Well, I don't fucking give a crap about that shit! Get back to sleep!" Hinata strictly ordered.

"Y-yes, ma'am..." the younger whispered.

"What was that?" Hinata demanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Hanabi repeated more livelier.

"Good, now I'll be seeing you later..." Hinata concluded, climbing back into her bed.

Hanabi scurried out of Hinata's room, looking for something better to do than get killed. Itachi, next door, had overheard all of this. Heck, the entire base heard Hinata's loud threat. It's pretty obvious that Hinata has been spending time with Hidan. **Now, why didn't I think of that when Sasuke was trying to get me out of bed in the morning? **With Hanabi taken care of, the Akatsuki members got a few extra hours of sleep.

* * *

><p>When the Akatsuki members were finally up and about, Itachi decided to go wake up Hinata. He knew that Hinata would never threaten to shove a kunai knife down his throat, though he was as cautious as possible. When Hinata answered his knock with a cheerful 'Come in', Itachi was very relieved.<p>

"You don't like your sleep interrupted, I've noticed..." Itachi brought up as he led Hinata to the kitchen.

"It's not the fact that it was interrupted, it was the fact that Hanabi-chan was being annoying while doing so," Hinata replied.

"Little siblings, you know?" Hinata added.

"Oh, you have no idea..." Itachi responded, his mind bursting with annoying moments with Sasuke.

Hanabi was waiting at the kitchen table, along with the rest of the Akatsuki.

"Good morning, Hanabi-chan," Hinata greeted the heiress.

"G-good morning," Hanabi stuttered, remembering her morning encounter with Hinata.

Hinata smiled, appreciating the feeling of being in control. **Hiashi must have a lot of fun... **

"Hey, Nee-chan, do you still love Naruto-san?" Hanabi questioned.

"Let's think of it this way: you're asking me if I love the guy who brought me great hopes, was my inspiration to live, the guy who I loved with a tremendous passion... And the same guy who probably never noticed I was gone, crushed my heart when he didn't even try to go looking for me, and made me spend nights thinking my entire life was a lie," Hinata replied.

"No, I don't love him anymore, Hanabi-chan. I really respect him, though. He is an honorable shinobi."

"Wow, Nee-chan... I'm sorry..." Hanabi apologized.

"Don't be. I never wanted pity, I wanted help. Hey, Sasori-senpai, what was your life like before joining the Akatsuki?" Hinata asked, redirecting the conversation towards Sasori.

"When I was young, my parents were killed. Chiyo, who was my grandmother, taught me about puppets to keep me busy. I had a natural talent for puppetry, and even made puppets that looked like my mother and father. However, since they were just puppets, they could not fill the deep void in my heart. Eventually, I turned myself into a puppet to avoid those emotions. I left my village, blah blah blah, and here I am now, with a blonde for my partner," Sasori described with a flat tone.

"I take offense to that, un," Deidara replied.

"I don't care," Sasori bluntly pointed out.

Hidan walked into the kitchen, with an Akatsuki cloak in his hand.

"Yo, bitch, heads up!" Hidan warned, as he threw the Akatsuki cloak at Hinata.

Hinata caught it, much to Hidan's dismay.

"You fucking left it in my room, yesterday," Hidan told Hinata.

Hanabi started to stare at Hinata, getting the wrong (and obscene) idea. Nobody else seemed to have a problem with it.

"Is something wrong, Hyuuga heiress?" Itachi asked Hanabi, noticing that she was staring at Hinata.

"No... It's just that, Nee-chan... And him... His room... Her cloak..." Hanabi began to explain.

"What kind of material are you exposed to, Hanabi-chan? We were planning your kidnap in Hidan's room, which oddly smells like vanilla, and I didn't feel like wearing the cloak to Konoha, so I kind of left it there. Oh, by the way, Konoha's village guards are more alert now, so no more entering the village with the cloak on, unless you plan on fighting."

"So, what was your life before the Akatsuki, Kisame?" Sasori questioned the sword-wielder.

"The people I were loyal to turned out to be spies leaking out information. Living a lie, betraying and murdering the people I thought were my comrades. You know, the usual," Kisame described.

"How about you, Zetsu?" Kisame asked.

"Well, it all started when-"

**"That's none of your businesses," the other side of Zetsu interrupted.**

**"Konan?"**

"War, parents killed, met two goods friends, etc." Konan described.

"Hidan?"

"Oh my fucking Jashin, two words. Fucking. Atheists. The fucking village went from shinobi village to fucking tourist site! Plus, those dumbasses didn't want to fucking kill! Shinobi are fucking meant to slaughter, not prance around like some pussies, I fucking swear... So, later I converted to Jashinism, got fucking drunk, and stuff," Hidan ranted.

"What about you, Uchiha bastard?" Hidan asked Itachi.

"I think you all know _my _life story," Itachi told them.

"We want to know _your_ point of view, though, Itachi-sama."

Itachi shrugged.

"Kakuzu-san?"

"I failed a mission that I risked my life for, and my village orders punishment. I thought that was just wrong, so I killed the village elders, stole their hearts along with some valuable knowledge, and left the village. Money is the only reliable thing in the world, that's what I've learned," Kakuzu explained.

"What do you mean by 'stole their hearts'?" Hanabi questioned.

"He means the organ," Itachi answered.

Hanabi developed a larger fear of the people around her. The Akatsuki leader walked into the kitchen.

"So, what's happening now?" Pein asked.

"We're sharing our life stories," Konan explained.

"Well mine is pretty much described in one word: pain, in case you wanted to know."

"Okay, I think that's everyone," Kisame said.

"Hey, what about me, un?" Deidara asked.

"Nobody wants you to go off into another speech about art being a bang, when it clearly is not," Sasori answered.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Sasori-senpai," Hinata reminded him.

"You're blind, so how would you know?" Sasori retorted.

"I wasn't blind my entire life," Hinata responded.

"What's your favorite color, and why?" Sasori asked her.

"Scarlet, it reminds me of blood."

"Welcome to the Akatsuki," Pein greeted her.

"All the members share one trait - their favorite color is scarlet, because it's the color of blood. Except for Kakuzu-kun, since his is green, but he appreciates the color scarlet, too," Konan explained.

"Hanabi-chan, what's your favorite color?" Hinata asked.

"I don't have one," Hanabi answered.

"Which is why you are obviously a Hyuuga, and not Akatsuki material. No offense, though," Konan told the heiress.

"None taken?"

"Small things like someone's favorite color can tell a lot about that person. With that, you can learn to understand the person, and imagine their point of view. Don't assume that someone is evil just because they're in a certain group or from a certain village, that's just shallow. The people that you imagined to be so horrible and immoral can be the people that end up being your best friends. Don't judge someone by what their rumors says they are, judge them on what the _person_ is. Remember that, Hyuuga heiress," Itachi explained.

Everyone took a second to contemplate what the Uchiha said, even Hidan.

"Dude, we need a fucking translation," Hidan informed Itachi.

This prompted Kakuzu to smack the back of Hidan's head.

"The fuck?" Hidan questioned, not knowing why Kakuzu hurt him.

"You really are an idiot... How can you not understand something as simple as that?" Kakuzu asked his partner.

"It's probably the brain damage from smacking his head so much," Konan remarked.

"See! So stop fucking hitting me, you fucking bastard!" Hidan requested.

"Maybe I wouldn't be hitting you so much if you weren't so stupid," Kakuzu accused.

"It's okay, because Hidan-senpai is learning," Hinata told him.

"That idiot lacks the ability to learn," Kakuzu replied.

"He knows how to write," Hinata denied.

As Hinata spoke those words, many gasped in shock. Konan did a spit-take, the orange juice that she bought now coating most of the kitchen table and Kisame's face.

"Him?" many of the Akatsuki members asked in unison.

"The fuck? Of course I fucking know how to read and write!" Hidan yelled.

"Are you sure?" Kisame asked the blind girl as he wiped the orange juice from his face, too shocked to care about the orange juice.

"Yeah, he wrote the ransom note when we were kidnapping the Hyuuga heiress," Hinata told him.

"Since when did my name change from Hanabi to Hyuuga heiress?" Hanabi asked Hinata, a bit offended.

"You have no right to speak right now. You are a captive right now, not a guest. Know your place, Hyuuga heiress," Hinata ordered the heiress, which shut her up right away.

"Well, I think he wrote it... You wrote it, right, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata asked.

"Damn straight I did!" Hidan confirmed.

"He could be lying, you know," Kakuzu reminded them all.

"He carved the word 'dead' on the window, though," Konan reminded them.

"True... Maybe Hidan is smarter than we think he is," Pein stated.

"You fucking bitches underestimate my almighty skills," Hidan grumbled.

"Hidan-senpai isn't useless. After all, he made it into the Akatsuki when he was drunk."

"..."

Everyone started to stare at Pein. After all, he was the one who approves of every member's recruitment.

"Don't look at me, I was drunk that day, too," Pein defended himself.

"You were drunk? No wonder you declared that pizza was a vegetable... I mean, it's obviously a fruit," Konan recalled.

"Yes, I was trying to drown out all my sorrows of this hopeless organization..." Pein replied.

"What's the purpose of this organization, anyways?" Hinata questioned.

"We can't reveal that in front of an outsider, Hinata," Itachi told her.

"Outsider? Oh, the Hyuuga heiress..." Hinata remembered.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that reminds me, what are we supposed to do if Hiashi doesn't want the heiress back, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata asked.<p>

"What do you fucking mean 'if Hiashi doesn't want the heiress back'? Of course he'll want the fucking heiress back!"

"It's a possibility that Hiashi could promote the Hyuuga prodigy to heir, if the heiress is gone," Itachi told him.

"Well, what'd you put on the note?" Hinata asked.

"I wrote that we'll fucking kill the bitch," Hidan answered.

"You're gonna kill me if the plan doesn't work out?" Hanabi questioned in fear.

"What did you expect? We let you go and apologize to Hiashi?" Hinata asked the heiress.

"But... We're sisters..." Hanabi meekly argued.

"Sisters? You were as much of a sister to me as Zetsu-senpai was to me as a lover (no offense)! You looked _down _on me. You think I didn't notice? I know you heard me crying whenever I was lonely, whenever I was suffering from who I was. Our bond as 'sisters' never existed, Hyuuga heiress," Hinata said to Hanabi.

"I'm sorry, Nee-chan... It's just-"

Hanabi started to cry. It was humiliating to cry in front of all of those people, and horrible knowing that everything Hinata said was true. It was terrible knowing that Hinata was suffering so much while Hanabi got the better life. The room was unbelievably tense as the ex-Hyuuga and Hyuuga heiress spoke.

"Just what, Hyuuga? Just that you were afraid Hiashi would punish you? Just that you were afraid of showing kindness to someone who cared about you?"

"I was afraid you'd hate me... You were always considered the 'pretty one' or the 'nice one' when people would talk about you... I-I didn't want you to hate me because I got the approval that you worked so hard to gain..." Hanabi explained, her tears soaking her face, looking down at her feet.

"Hanabi, look at me," Hinata commanded.

Hanabi looked up, facing Hinata.

"Is she looking at me?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Itachi answered.

"Hanabi, I will never hate you. Do you know why? Because you're my imouto, and I'll always protect you, no matter what happens. So if a bully is ever bothering you, just call your ane to beat the bully up, ne?" Hinata explained to Hanabi.

Hanabi ran up to her older sister, hugging her and once again soaking Hinata's kimono with her tears. Hinata returned her hug.

"Total sister moment!" Konan remarked.

"Aww, now _that's _fucking adorable!" Hidan commented.

"Tch..." Kakuzu responded.

"Dammit, have a heart, you bastard!" Hidan yelled at his partner.

"I have 5, thank you very much..." Kakuzu replied.

"So you're not going to kill me?" Hanabi asked.

"No, I'm not. Just don't wake me up, or else I _will _kill you..." Hinata warned her.

"However, the other Akatsuki members might kill you," Hinata told Hanabi.

"I thought you said you'd always protect me!" Hanabi recalled, breaking free from the hug.

"You expect too much from me, you need to be able to defend yourself sometimes," Hinata answered.

"You're mean..."

"I don't think you're in the position to be insulting me."

"You don't have a kunai with you."

"Itachi-sama, can you please hand me a kunai?" Hinata politely requested.

The Uchiha pulled out a kunai from the sleeve of his Akatsuki cloak, and handed it to Hinata. He wasn't exactly paying attention to what Hinata's intentions were.

"Arigato, Itachi-sama," Hinata thanked as she was handed the kunai.

"Okay, I'm sorry! Sheesh..."

* * *

><p>"Now that that's taken care of, I'd like to ask if the Hyuuga's Byakugan is functional," Sasori stated.<p>

Hanabi tried activating her Byakugan to test Sasori's theory. Much to her disappointment, it was not functional.

"No, it doesn't work," Hanabi answered.

"That seems like a bad sign. In fact, it'll shoot a hole through some plans," Sasori said.

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked.

"Is it not obvious? A Hyuuga heiress without the Byakugan is like the alphabet without letters - it doesn't exist. Therefore, Hidan and Hinata would not be returning the Hyuuga heiress to the Hyuuga clan. Hiashi would react either by not accepting you back into the clan; or accepting you into the clan, and later banishing you. Either way, you won't be in the Hyuuga clan anymore since you'd be worthless," Sasori explained.

"So there'll be a chance that our plan won't work in our favor... Which means we'll get a bad reputation and money, or Hiashi gets a worse reputation and keeps his money," Hinata listed.

"I still benefit either way," Hinata said to herself.

"The real question is what to do with _her..._" Kakuzu mentioned, referring to Hanabi.

"Hanabi-chan's not going to be in the Akatsuki, that's for sure. Technically, this is none of our concern, so it is not our problem."

"Nee-chan!"

"Hanabi, the baby hawk won't fly if it's not pushed off of a cliff," Hinata told her.

"I don't want to fly, I want to live!" Hanabi whined.

"You need independence. You can't just sit there, letting your life be blindly guided by controlled factors. Choose your own destiny," Hinata lectured her younger sister.

"Expect the unexpected, and be ready to counter it. Expect anything to happen, even the expected. The people that say paranoia is bad for you are liars."

"How do you explain Sasuke Uchiha, then?" asked Zetsu.

**"Itachi is still in the room, you insolent fool!" **

"He's able to beat Naruto-kun, Sakura, and Kakashi all at the same time. How's that a bad thing?" Hinata questioned.

"His mental state will suffer greatly," Pein answered.

Many started to burst into laughter.

"Hah, mental state! Good one, Leader-san!" Hinata complimented.

"I don't get it... Wouldn't that be a bad thing?" Hanabi asked.

"You don't need to be sane to survive," Kisame told her.

"You'll be really lonely, though," Hanabi argued.

"If you're lucky, you'll be insane enough to have little elves keep you company," Konan said.

"No, Hanabi-chan might be right on this one. Your mental state affects your will to live, which can decrease over time. Paranoia is a two-way street, really. You can suffer or benefit. Keep a good balance, and you'll be fine," Hinata said.

"So what are we supposed to do about my Byakugan?" Hanabi proposed.

"By 'we', you mean '_you'._ Like I said, it's none of our concern," Hinata told her.

"That's not fair..." Hanabi complained.

"You think I don't know that? I'm blind. At least you still have two eyes that work. Besides, what's the point of the Byakugan if it has a blind spot?"

"The Byakugan has a blind spot?" Pein questioned.

"Yeah, it's behind the neck-"

"Nee-chan!" Hanabi interrupted.

"What? I won't suffer if that information is revealed. It's behind the neck above the third thoracic vertabra," Hinata finished.

"Could the Byakugan be forcibly deactivated, like by pressure on a certain area?" Kisame asked.

"It's- OUCH, un!" Deidara started to say before Sasori elbowed him in the ribs.

"It's possible," Sasori answered.

"What was that for, danna, un?" Deidara whined.

"Only_ I_ get to say that line," Sasori answered.

Deidara rolled his eyes at his partner, only to get elbowed once more.

"It's never been heard of," Hinata told them.

"Show us the back of your neck, Hyuuga heiress," Sasori requested.

Hanabi hesitated before following Sasori's orders. After all, they _were _the Akatsuki.

"We're not going to suck your blood or anything, just hurry up and turn around before we force you against your will," Sasori assured her, growing impatient.

Hanabi did as Sasori said, turning around and moving her hair out of the way.

"There's a bruise above the third thoracic vertabra. Itachi, use your Sharingan to look at her chakra pathway system," Sasori ordered.

Itachi's eyes glowed red as he observed Hanabi's chakra pathway system. He noticed that the color of her chakra was a dull grey, supporting the fact that she was a Hyuuga.

"The flow of chakra to the optic nerve has been reduced. If it were to be completely cut off, the Hyuuga heiress would have gone blind," Itachi reported.

"I can fix that. The Gentle Fist can either open or close tenketsu," Hinata said.

"Really?" Hanabi asked.

Konan positioned Hanabi in front of Hinata. Hinata got into the Gentle Fist stance, loading her hands with a small amount of chakra. She envisioned the chakra pathway system and 361 tenketsu in her mind, preparing herself.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Nee-chan?" Hanabi asked, the worry evident in her tone.

"You don't trust a blind girl to fix your Byakugan? You really are a Hyuuga," Hinata joked, lightly striking Hanabi's neck before she could object any further.

Everyone waited, as if expecting something spectacular to happen. It wasn't until Sasori's impatience got the better of him that the silence was broken.

"Activate your Byakugan, Hyuuga heiress," Sasori told her.

Hanabi activated her Byakugan, veins gathering around her eyes. Much to everyone's amazement, a blind girl fixed the Byakugan. Hanabi deactivated her Byakugan, grateful for the Akatsuki.

"You're welcome, Hanabi-chan," Hinata stated.

"Arigato, Nee-chan!" Hanabi thanked.

"So, now the Akatsuki knows the Hyuuga clan's major weakness, un," Deidara pointed out.

"Hah! 1 point for the Akatsuki, 0 points for the Hyuuga bitches!" Hidan declared in triumph.

"Ahem..." Hanabi cleared her throat, making sure that it is known that she's still in the room.

"Face it, Hanabi, you are kind of a bitch," Hinata told her.

Hanabi crossed her arms, angry that Hinata's statement was true.

"Technically, the Hyuuga heiress knows this information, too," Itachi pointed out.

"She can't tell the rest of clan about it, though. Hiashi would reprimand her for revealing precious knowledge like that, and possibly banish her. Plus, she totally owes us for saving her Byakugan," Hinata explained.

"We could also fucking kill her if she bitches," Hidan added.

Everyone nodded in agreement, with Hanabi distraught at this decision.

"I could lie and say that I figured it out by myself," Hanabi said.

"Lying would be fucking sinful, you bitch! Jashin-sama will surely fucking smite you if you lie!" Hidan objected.

"Fuck Jashin, _I'll _smite the bitch if she lies," Sasori responded.

"So it's unanimous; Hanabi will keep the secret, or else," Hinata announced.

"The Hyuuga heiress might need some ice for the bruise on her neck," Sasori brought up.

"Here's a quick way to make ice; just hold a glass of water near your heart, Hanabi-chan," Hinata joked.

Many began to laugh at Hinata's humor.

"That's mean! I'm not cold!" Hanabi denied.

"You're a Hyuuga, of course you're cold. Watch. Konan-chan, walk near Hanabi-chan, and then to the other side of the kitchen," Hinata instructed.

Konan followed Hinata's instructions obediently.

"Wow, you could feel the temperature drop when you're near that Hyuuga heiress..." Konan observed.

"The fuck? I wanna fucking try," Hidan volunteered.

He mirrored Konan's actions, surprised.

"Damn! The bitch really _is _fucking cold!"

"I thought it was just a draft," Itachi stated in wonder.

Everyone began to test Hinata's theory, all astonished that it was proven to be correct.

"Bottom line: Hyuugas are cold. It's not a stereotype, it's the truth," Sasori summarized.

* * *

><p>With everything taken care of, everyone began to get bored.<p>

"Hey, Hidan-senpai, let's go kill some people today. We never got to kill anyone yesterday," Hinata suggested.

"Zetsu-senpai, take care of Hanabi-chan for me," Hinata told Zetsu, handing her Akatsuki cloak to Hanabi.

"Fuck yeah!" Hidan exclaimed in agreement.

"Killing for no reason isn't ethical," Itachi told the two.

"Fucking hypocrite! You fucking murdered your entire fucking clan, bastard!" Hidan accused the Uchiha.

"The Uchiha clan was unscrupulous," Itachi responded.

"Hidan-senpai, let's go kill the entire Hyuuga clan," Hinata suggested.

"Fuck yeah!" Hidan repeated, excited to do the deed.

"That's not what I meant..." Itachi told them.

However, Hidan and Hinata were already out of the Akatsuki base.

"Are they really going to massacre the Hyuuga clan?" Hanabi asked.

Itachi politely waited for Sasori to say his classic line.

"It's possible," Sasori replied.

"Have fun with Zetsu, un," Deidara said as everyone to leave the kitchen, leaving Zetsu and Hanabi alone.

"So... You must be Zetsu," Hanabi assumed.

"Yup," Zetsu answered.

**"We're going to rip you apart, limb by limb, and devour your flesh."**

"Nice to meet you, too... In fact, I'm just gonna go... You know, run away from you right now," Hanabi announced, backing away slowly and sprinting away from the kitchen.

Much to Hanabi's relief, Zetsu wasn't chasing after her. She dropped off Hinata's cloak at her room, locating her room with her Byakugan. Hanabi looked for something to do, wandering the empty hallways.

"This is why we never make any friends..." Zetsu complained to his other side.

**"We don't need friends, we have ourselves."**

"True, but it'd be nice to have some company from time to time."

**"Tch, whatever..."**

"Wait, I'm sorry! Can you please forgive me?" Zetsu apologized.

Zetsu's other side only ignored himself.

"Aww... Now I'm _really _alone..."

* * *

><p>In the meantime, Hidan and Hinata started walking towards who-knows-where.<p>

"Let's go fuck up those Hyuuga bitches!" Hidan exclaimed eagerly.

"Relax, I was just kidding about that," Hinata told him, twirling the kunai that Itachi gave her around her finger.

"Besides, they're already pretty fucked up," Hinata pointed out.

"I don't fucking care who I kill, I just wanna fucking kill!" Hidan yelled.

"Let's kill the next people you see, Hidan-senpai," Hinata recommended.

The two didn't go straight towards Konoha, but they took a route that led them to a group of 12 Konoha jounins that were on their way to a mission. Hinata engaged the battle by throwing the kunai at one ninja's chest, which stabbed deeply into his ribs.

"Did it hit?" Hinata questioned.

"Damn right it hit! How the fuck do you do that when you're fucking blind?" Hidan asked her in surprise.

"Sense your enemy, and aim towards the chakra source," Hinata explained.

"Tch..."

The ninja that was stabbed began to get immediate treatment from another one, who was a medic. Hidan and Hinata became surrounded by the remaining 10 jounins, all armed with shurikens or kunai knives. The two stood back to back, ready to fight. The 10 ninjas began to throw their weapons and the two, which Hidan easily deflected from both of them with his scythe. Some of the deflected weapons flew at a few of the ninja.

The jounins charged at the two, which was a bad idea. Hinata got into her battle stance, and began weaving a stream of chakra around her and Hidan, creating the Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. By the time the ninja figured out what Hinata was doing, it was too late. They stampeded straight into the chakra blades, dangerously slicing deep into their skin, with a shower of blood gushing out everywhere. Hinata held out her hand, and tasted the red liquid to confirm what it was.

"Blood," Hinata stated.

"Tch, no shit, sherlocks!" Hidan responded.

"Well, fuck you, Wattson," Hinata replied.

"Touche, bitch..." Hidan retorted.

"I haven't used that technique since I was 12, I can't believe I can still do it," Hinata said.

"For fucking reals? Damn, you got skills, girl."

Hidan licked off the mixed blood of the 10 shinobi from his scythe. Then, he began to draw a circle with a triangle inside of it with the blood, his skin turning black with white markings.

"What are you doing?" Hinata questioned.

"Jashin ritual, bitch. Part of my fucking religion, and my favorite fucking hobby," Hidan answered.

"Well, can you tell me where the two ninja that didn't surround us are?" Hinata requested.

"They're fucking laying around, to your left, about 10 fucking yards away or something," Hidan told her.

"Arigato, Hidan-senpai!" Hinata thanked as she ran off, following his directions.

* * *

><p>She reached her wanted destination, sensing the two ninjas nearby, and stopped. The medic ninja stood in front of the injured jounin, spreading her arms out, as if to block something.<p>

"I won't let you hurt him!" the female medic ninja declared.

Hinata smiled warmly at the medic ninja. The medic was surprised, as Hinata didn't look as if she was about to rush at her and fight to the death. Hinata stepped towards the medic, with the female planting her feet firmly on the ground. The injured ninja only helplessly watched.

"The world really needs more virtuous kunoichi like you, you know," Hinata told her.

"A less than smart, but still wise man once told me something that his smart and wise sensei told him. 'Those who doesn't follow the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.'"

"Trying to make me let my guard down? Hah!" the medic accused, rushing towards Hinata, and beginning a one-sided struggle.

"No... I do tend to ramble on about trivial things, though," Hinata replied, gracefully dodging and blocking the medic's punches.

Hinata got into the Gentle Fist stance, and began to focus on the picture of the chakra pathway system in her head. She quickly stroke 64 tenketsu, her movements a blur. What a spectator would have seen was Hinata striking once and the female medic ninja collapsing.

Hinata walked towards the injured ninja. He was trembling in fear of what Hinata would do to him. She kneeled down, and began to lightly skim over the ninja's body, until Hinata located the metal object she was looking for.

"She didn't take out the kunai yet?" Hinata questioned.

The injured shinobi weakly shook his head in response, unaware that Hinata was blind. Hinata felt the small movements in his body, assuming that he was shaking his head.

"I'm going to numb a part of your body so I could take out the kunai, okay?" Hinata informed the shinobi.

"O-okay..." the ninja confirmed, his voice a bit hoarse.

Hinata cut off a few chakra paths in the man's ribs. It was not enough to kill him, though.

"I'm going to pull it out on 3. 1... 2 ... 3 ..."

Hinata yanked out the kunai. Much to his surprise, the man not feeling any kind of pain.

"Sorry about that, I'm really lucky if I hit anything, being blind... Where's the first aid kit?" Hinata asked him gently.

"On your right, near my left shoulder," the jounin directed her.

"So you're not going to kill me?" the jounin asked.

"Weird, my imouto asked the same thing this morning... I'm not gonna tell you that I'll kill you if you wake me up again, though."

"Wait, I'm rambling again..." Hinata realized.

"But no, I'm not going to kill you. Unless you happen to be suicidal, or something... I'd recommend reaching out for help from good friends."

The shinobi cracked a tiny smile. Once Hinata found the first aid kit, she set it closer to herself. She began to take off the jounin's vest and shirt.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to rape you or anything," Hinata assured him.

He cracked another small smile at her joke. Hinata opened the first aid kit, grabbing a bottle and a swab.

"This is a bottle of alcohol, right?" Hinata questioned.

"Yeah," the man answered.

Hinata soaked the swab with the alcohol, and began to tenderly clean the blood off of the man. Once Hinata thought she cleaned off most of the blood, she grabbed the bandages. She got out a small container from the sleeve of her kimono, which held a white cream. Hinata smeared the ointment on the man's entire ribcage.

"Can you sit up?" Hinata asked the man.

The jounin sat up, and Hinata began to tightly wrap the man's ribs with bandages.

"That should do it for now. I'm sorry that I'm not a medical ninja. I'm more cut out for fighting, you know?" Hinata told him.

"And sorry about your friend over there..." Hinata apologized again, referring to the female medic who couldn't move for a good hour or so.

"Thank you..." the man whispered.

Hinata smiled at him, the rays of the radiant sun shining on her, which only emphasized how warm her smile was. **She's like... a goddess. A moon-eyed goddess.**

"What's your name?" he asked as Hinata stood up.

"Hinata," she answered.

**The moon-eyed goddess named Hinata... I'll remember her forever.**

"That name suits you pretty well, Hinata-chan," he complimented her.

"Arigato."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hidan finished off all 10 of his opponents at once, with a stab to his heart. The mortals suffered the same fate, and instantly died. Hinata was next to Hidan in a flash.<p>

"Damn, bitch. You're like fucking lightning..." Hidan remarked.

"That was so fucking epic! I fucking finished all 10 of them _at the same fucking time!_" Hidan boasted.

"At the same time? Wow... You have major skills, there, Hidan-senpai," Hinata commented, stroking Hidan's growing ego.

"I fucking know, right? We're like the best fucking duo! You're a way better partner than fucking Kakuzu, that bastard..." Hidan stated, still dripping blood from the ritual.

Hidan and Hinata walked back to the Akatsuki base, both coated with the scarlet blood of their opponents, like a second skin. While they were doing that, Shikamaru was on his way to the Hokage's office, uneasy about his thoughts. **Hinata, I never saw this coming. You've cooked up such a troublesome situation, and even I don't know how to deal with it. **He lazily made his way up the stairs, every other step groaning in agony as Shikamaru placed his weight on it.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru's palms were moist from anxiety by the time he reached the door on the far right - the Hokage's office. He knocked three times, his stomach churning with discomfort.<p>

"Enter," a familiar voice commanded.

Shikamaru had to wipe his hands on his pants before pivoting the doorknob. Despite his tensity, Shikamaru retained his sloth composure.

"Shikamaru. What do you need to tell me?" Tsunade asked, her voice almost fretful.

"It's Hinata..." Shikamaru began.

"Again?" Tsunade questioned, her tone a sloppy mix of stress, concern, and stiffness.

"Yeah. She's plotting the downfall of the Hyuuga clan," Shikamaru reported.

Tsunade stood up from her desk, and walked towards the window slowly. She stared out of the immense view from her office, as if attempting to avoid Shikamaru's growing nervousness clashing with her own fully grown worry. She sighed, almost in defeat.

"Have you found any ways to prevent it?" the 5th Hokage questioned, struggling to keep her voice stable.

"No, her plan is plain genius," Shikamaru replied disappointedly.

Tsunade looked up at the sky, waiting for some advice to magically fly into the room. To hear that from a genius is saying something.

"Should we stop her?" Tsunade asked him.

"We can't..."

"The Hyuuga clan probably deserves it... It'd just be karma," the Hokage commented.

"I sent a group of 12 jounins on an S-rank mission to get information on the Akatsuki. They left four to five hours ago. They were told to send a carrier pigeon saying that they've safely left, and there has been no reply since then. Do you think...?"

"It might be, but how would the Akatsuki know about the mission?" Shikamaru questioned.

"I don't know," was all Tsunade replied with.

* * *

><p>Without warning, Shizune burst into the room, panting from running.<p>

"Tsunade-sama, take a look at this..." Shizune said between pants, handing Tsunade a slightly ripped note.

Dear Hokage-sama,

Ten are dead and one can't move. Attacked by a shinigami and a blind, moon-eyed goddess. 

I was fatally injured by a kunai in the ribs by the goddess. She apologized multiple times,

took out the kunai, and bandaged my wound, smearing a white cream that made the bleeding stop

while the shinigami was killing the ten other jounins. She saved my life... Her name was Hinata.

I deeply apologize for the failure of retrieval of information on the Akatsuki.

~Tohru Kuronii

The writing was a bit messy, but legible enough to be read.

"Well... Now I know..." Tsunade thought aloud.

She automatically handed Shikamaru the note for him to read. Shikamaru muttered another "How troublesome" as he read.

"'Moon-eyed goddess', huh... The title suits her pretty well," Shikamaru humored.

**"She saved my life." So Hinata is still the same girl she was before... **Shikamaru began to remember the shy, stuttering, weak girl that was a part of Team 8. To think, that she grew up and became a "moon-eyed goddess" who hangs out with a "shinigami". People can change so much over time.

"Yes... She was always smiling, before..." Tsunade recalled.

"They were fake smiles, though," Shikamaru stated, the pain of guilt returning.

"At least she tried to be happy... She always tried her best," Tsunade remembered.

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed.

Tsunade walked back to her desk, writing a reply to come back ASAP with a black ink pen. The Hokage handed the note to Shizune, who quickly left the room to send it.

"She's in the Akatsuki, now, though. We can't let her off easy just because she was nice," Shikamaru told her.

"She's not a threat, yet," Tsunade replied.

"She will be. She'll turn out like Sasuke," Shikamaru argued.

"Hinata doesn't want revenge. She's just bewildered. We have to help her, Shikamaru, that way she won't end up like Sasuke."

"It'll be too late, though. She's... at the point of no return..." Shikamaru countered.

"It's never too late. You can't give up. When Neji told me about Hinata joining the Akatsuki, he was crying. He loves her," the Hokage countered back.

It took Shikamaru a minute to process the information that's been given to him. **"Neji" and "crying" in the same sentence? **

"How troublesome... Love can sure do crazy things to you..." Shikamaru commented.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in Neji's room...<p>

"What hurts the mooost... Was being _so _close... And having so much to say, watching you walk awayyyy..." Neji sung along.

Someone knocked on Neji's bedroom door. Neji only responded by turning up the volume on his mp3 player.

"Captain Neji?" Sai's voice questioned.

"Never knowing.. What could've been... And not seein' that lovin' yoooouuuu... Is what I was tryin' to doooo..." Neji continued.

Sai let himself in, not hearing any objection. Neji was a total mess. He looked as clean as always, but emotion-wise he was a mess. Pain, regret, love, depression, sadness, anger, guilt... All at the same time.

"Captain Neji, you can't lay in bed all day listening to Rascal Flatts," Sai told him.

Neji only sighed, and ignored Sai.

"Don't you want to save Hinata, Captain Neji? You're going to have to get off your lazy ass if you want to do that," Sai reminded Neji.

"What if she's happier there?" Neji questioned, removing his headphones.

There was a pause. Neji's music filled the room, even though the headphones were plugged in. It was so loud that Sai heard it when he was at the front gate of the Hyuuga's lower branch house.

"Can you really be happy knowing that nobody wanted to help you when they had the chance?" Sai replied.

"No..." Neji answered.

"Which is why you're going to get your fat ass to the training grounds, even if I have to drag you there myself, Captain Neji," Sai informed Neji.

"I'm not fat..." Neji grumbled.

"Whatever you say, Captain Neji..."

* * *

><p>Neji turned off his mp3 player. He stood up, and glanced at himself in the full-length mirror to the right of his closet. <strong>Maybe I could use some training, though... <strong>He accompanied Sai to the walk to the training grounds.

"I don't think we can force her to come back," Neji mentioned as the two reached their destination.

"You gotta stay fit though, Captain Neji. That way she won't reject you for your hideousness and fatness," Sai responded.

"She's blind," Neji stated.

"And you'll be a reason why she wants to stay blind, Captain Neji. Anyways, you have to be able to keep up with Hinata. 'Protect the ones you love' as Naruto put it," Sai replied.

"Your moves mostly consist of short-range attacks, being a Hyuuga. What would you do if you fought against a long-range user?" Sai questioned.

**Stalker...**

"I use Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven," Neji answered.

**Damn, I feel stupid. I should've used that when Hinata threw those shurikens at me! **Neji nearly face-palmed himself.

"And how will you attack or defend against the long-range user if you can't use that move because you're low on chakra or you simply forget?" Sai questioned.

"I dodge and try to decrease the distance, or throw weapons at the long-range user."

"You should use weapons in battle more. With the Byakugan, you can be very accurate," Sai suggested.

Neji only shrugged off Sai's suggestion, saying that weapons were Tenten's specialty.

"Well, you seem smart enough for battle," Sai deduced.

Sai got out his scroll and brush, using ink to swiftly draw three lions. The lions came to life, and began to attack Neji. Neji quickly reacted without question, and stroke three times. The lions returned to their ink forms, spilling a black puddle on the ground. Sai put away his scroll and brush, and charged at Neji.

The two fought each other for a while, learning new things about each other's fighting style. Tenten came across Neji and Sai, and ran towards the duo.

* * *

><p>"Neji!" Tenten called, waving her hand to catch his attention.<p>

Neji and Sai continued their fight, both immersed in the battle.

"What?" Neji coldly questioned, blocking a hit from Sai.

"Tsunade-sama wants to see you immediately," Tenten informed the Hyuuga, her voice sounding concerned.

Reluctantly, Neji ended the training session, following his female comrade to the Hokage's office. Tenten seemed to be nervous about the meeting with the Hokage. All Neji knew that it had to be serious if Tsunade had to call him into her office. When Tenten opened the door to Tsunade's office, her hand was trembling.

"You wanted to see me?" Neji questioned as he entered.

"Yes... It's Hinata," Tsunade told him.

"I know, she's planning the Hyuuga clan's defeat," Neji stated.

"That too, but there's something else I wanted to tell you," Tsunade said to him.

"It's been reported that a 'shinigami' has killed 10 of our best jounins. That 'shinigami' was accompanied by a 'blind, moon-eyed goddess'," Tsunade informed Neji.

"Hinata..." Neji muttered, knowing right away that the "goddess" must have been Hinata.

Tenten took a quizzical glance at Neji. **Hinata described as a goddess? And Neji agreed? **A small seed of envy sprouted inside of Tenten. Tenten had always liked Neji more than a friend, but those feelings had never surfaced. Jealousy was all it took for these feelings to show themselves.

"Yes, her name was Hinata... She threw a kunai knife at a jounin's ribs, which punctured deeply," Tsunade described.

Neji tensed up at the thought of Hinata mercilessly killing a jounin. Tenten almost sighed in relief. **Neji can't fall in love with a heartless killer... Right? **It then occurred to Tenten that Hinata had great skill. After all, it's hard to accurately throw a kunai at a jounin's ribs when you're blind.

"According to this note, Hinata 'apologized multiple times, took out the kunai, and bandaged my wounds, smearing a white cream that made the bleeding stop'," Tsunade told the two, reading directly from a note on her desk.

"Hinata really is a goddess..." Neji commented.

Tenten clenched her fists and gritted her teeth at Neji's comment. **She's gone. She broke your heart. Why do you love her?**

"Yes, yes... Even Shikamaru agreed that the title suited her, although he thought the entire situation troublesome," Tsunade remarked with a small smile.

Tenten's nails dug deeply into her own palm, drawing blood. **Even Shikamaru? What's wrong with you people? She's gone! Gone, gone, gone! Who cares if she ever comes back?**

"She's not a threat, yet. I've discussed it with the Konoha Elders, and they agreed that we won't target her," Tsunade reported.

"She's in the Akatsuki! She'll just end up like Sasuke in the end!" Tenten objected.

Neji and Tsunade were shocked at Tenten's sudden outburst. They didn't even notice her bloody palms that were close to dripping.

"Hinata is a good person, Tenten..." Neji gently told her.

Tenten was close to crying. It hurt that Neji took Hinata's side instead of hers. **Hinata... You have everyone on your side, don't you? You want to turn the people I love against me! **Tenten stormed out of the room, not wishing to hear any more jargon about Hinata still being a 'good person'. She let her tears finally fall as the door slammed behind her.

* * *

><p>Tenten walked to the nearest training grounds she could find, her tears only dropping quicker. She summoned shuriken from her scroll, and kept throwing them at a target, despite her bloody hand. <strong>If only the target was Hinata. That weak bitch, she should come out of hiding and face reality! <strong>Tenten only got more furious as the seconds passed, more weapons abusing the red and white circles.

"You like taking away people's happiness, don't you, Hinata?" Tenten screamed at the target.

Tenten hurled more kunai at the target, as if trying to beat an answer out of it.

"It'd be so much easier if you just _died._ I certainly wouldn't care, because you're too _worthless_," Tenten claimed.

"Drop dead already!" Tenten cursed, her sobs louder.

Tenten refused to just collapse on the ground and cry pathetically. She continued to hurl weapons at the target, trying to rid herself of the anger that only grew.

"I'll show you... I'll show you that I can be strong too! I'll be better than Hinata, and you'll love me, Neji! I'll show you all!" Tenten shouted.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Hidan entered the Akatsuki lair, both laughing as the other shared a humorous story. Their bodies were caked with dried blood, but neither seemed to mind. Hanabi was waiting for Hinata to return, and welcomed her with a hug as soon as she saw her.<p>

"Nee-chan!" Hanabi exclaimed as she hugged her.

"...Ew..." Hanabi said, retreating from the hug as she noticed the dried blood.

"You two killed the entire Hyuuga clan?" Hanabi asked in shock.

"Damn right we did! Don't fucking underestimate our fucking powers, arrogant bitch," Hidan joked.

"Did you kill Neji-kun too?" Hanabi questioned, pulling away from the hug.

"Yes, Hyuuga heiress. We killed _everyone. _And you know what? You're useless to me, now. I should just kill you," Hinata told her in a serious tone, playing along.

Hanabi activated her Byakugan, attempting to strike Hinata with Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms. Hinata expected this, and quickly pinned Hanabi against a wall with ease.

"Weak... Why are you so weak?" Hinata questioned.

"It's because you lack..."

Hinata leaned in, so that her mouth was almost touching Hanabi's ear.

"...a sense of humor," Hinata whispered with a smirk.

Hidan started cracking up with laughter, leaning on his bloody scythe for support.

"Fucking priceless!" Hidan said under his breath, laughing more.

Hinata eased her grip on Hanabi, starting to laugh at her along with Hidan.

"Oh my God, it was so hard to keep a straight face doing that..." Hinata admitted with another burst of laughter coming out.

"You're way too serious, Hanabi-chan," Hinata told her.

"I thought you really _did _kill the entire Hyuuga clan! You had blood all over you and everything... You even had a sadistic smile!" Hanabi yelled at the elder girl.

"I'm in the Akatsuki now, what did you expect? 16 years or so of my life alone one way or another, and I'm completely sane? So naiive..." Hinata said.

"I'm gonna go take a shower now," Hinata told the two as she headed down the hall.

"Hidan-senpai, where's the shower?" Hinata asked as she stopped at a corner.

"Go ask the Uchiha bastard. He's the bitch that's fucking supposed to be in charge of you. I'm gonna fucking take a shower, too," Hidan answered, shrugging it off as he went to the bathroom he shared with Kakuzu.

"Tch, fine then... Hey, Hanabi-chan, come here," Hinata said.

Hanabi came to Hinata, wondering what she wanted. Hinata unexpectedly turned Hanabi around, moved her hair out of the way, and stroke Hanabi's neck.

"What was that for?" Hanabi questioned.

"I can't let people take a shower with a Byakugan user in the building," Hinata told her.

"You lived more than a decade at the Hyuuga's main house," Hanabi responded.

"I took my showers at a secret waterfall outside of the village late at night, after I'm positive everyone is asleep," Hinata replied.

"I really hope you weren't misusing your Byakugan while I was gone..."

"Abuse your power, and your power will abuse you," Hinata told the young Hyuuga.

Hanabi only rolled her eyes at Hinata, knowing that Hinata won't see.

Itachi was walking down the hallway that Hinata and Hanabi were in, much to Hinata's convenience.

"Itachi-sama, where's the shower?" Hinata questioned as she recognized Itachi's chakra signature nearby.

"You're going to take a shower with a Hyuuga in the building?" Itachi asked her.

"I deactivated the Hyuuga's Byakugan already," Hinata answered.

"Wise action..." Itachi commented.

"I'm not a lesbian, you know," Hanabi responded.

"You're old enough to know how to be lesbian, though," Hinata replied.

Itachi took Hinata's hand in his, and gently led the blind girl to the bathroom that he now shared with her. She smiled at his touch, wanting it to last forever. Hanabi watched the two until they were out of her range of sight. **Does she...? No, Nee-chan can't fall in love with a heartless killer... Right? **

Hanabi began to wonder about Hinata. **She had blood all over her, though. That makes Nee-chan a heartless killer, too. Well, not heartless, but a killer. **Hinata was an enigma to Hanabi now.

* * *

><p>Itachi told Hinata that the shampoo was on her right of the shower rack, the conditioner was on the left, and that the bar of soap was in between. The Uchiha also mentioned that to get cold water you turn the knob to the left, and to get hot water you turn to the right. He handed her a big, fluffy, clean towel before he left. Hinata thought about locking the door after Itachi left. <strong>He knows I'm in the shower. But then again, so does Hanabi-chan... <strong>Hinata decided to use three minutes to feel her way around the bathroom and lock the door out of paranoia of Hanabi's sexual preference.

Hinata rid herself of the kimono that was sticking to her thighs thanks to the dried blood. The container of healing ointment fell on the bathroom tiles. She picked it up, placing it near the sink that happened to be a couple steps away, putting her slashed forehead protector next to it. Hinata folded the kimono, betting that the dried blood was crumbling off of it and making a mess. She took off her underwear next, placing it near the messy kimono, leaving her body entirely exposed.

**I wonder if the blood seeped through... **Hinata shrugged off her thoughts, and turned on the water, setting the temperature to the coldest it could be. She stepped in, letting herself get soaked under the streams of water. Hinata got the shampoo, massaging it into her scalp, followed by conditioner. She let her mind wander as the water washed away the suds.

**Why does he love me? Aren't prodigies supposed to be smart? **The water that ran down Hinata's legs were a pinkish-red color, resulting from the messy fight she had earlier. She used the bar of soap to assist in removing the grime from her body. The soap would surely turn the same pinkish-red hue.

**Weird knowing that Itachi-sama used the same bar of soap before me... **Hinata's face turned the same shade as her soap, rebuking herself for imagining Itachi taking a shower. She didn't know exactly what he looked like, but she was positive he carried the Uchiha clan's second curse: charm. Hinata tried to distract herself from that by thinking about her 'morning'. **Who do I love? **

Her answer was the same man she was trying to not think of at the moment. **Why do I think I love him? Because he acknowledged me? Because he cared? Because he was always so gentle, and kind, and... He was there for me...? **The blood was now completely off of Hinata. She stood in the water, thinking. Hinata began considering other men. **Hidan-senpai was rude, loud, and rough. Complete opposites. He's kinda like Naruto-kun, except less inspirational. And ruder, louder, rougher... He's fun to be with, though. **

Hinata shook her head, trying to rid these trivial thoughts of love. **Why do I even care? I'm a criminal; I don't have time for love- only hate. **Hinata started to mess with the water, creating an orb around her hand using chakra control that she worked on when she was still in the wretched Hyuuga clan.

**Why not take a chance with love, though? Never mind, never mind, I'll think about it later. **Hinata turned off the water, moving the shower curtains aside. She grabbed the towel from the towel rack she put it on, wrapping it around her body. There was water that was splashed on the bathroom tiles while Hinata was showering. Much to Hinata's dismay, she slipped as she exited the shower, landing with a loud, squishy thump on the bathroom floor. Along with Hinata, a glass vase that was on a shelf fell, shattering on the tiles.

* * *

><p>Since the bathroom was between Hinata's and Itachi's rooms, Itachi heard the thump and crash from the bathroom. Knowing that a noise like that isn't a good thing, he became concerned. The girl was just as blind and ill as he, though her disease wasn't as fatal.<p>

"Are you okay in there, Hinata?" Itachi questioned.

Hinata felt sharp shards piercing her leg. A liquid was seeping out of the shards. Hinata assumed it was blood, since blood was thicker than water.

"I fell. I think my leg is bleeding, Itachi-sama..." Hinata answered.

"Do you want me to help you?" Itachi asked her.

Hinata thought for a second. **Help. I wanted help, didn't I? I finally got help. In the Akatsuki. From the guy who murdered his clan. **

"Yes," Hinata answered, almost in disbelief.

The answer came almost automatically. She just knew that she wouldn't turn down an opportunity to get the thing she always wanted. The thing she strived for, yet was always denied of. A pain hit her heart as she thought about her past. **Why didn't I get help before? **

"I'm coming in," Itachi announced.

There was some a fumbling noise coming from the doorknob, and then it swung open. Although Hinata was occupied with her bloody leg, she was still curious how Itachi opened the door so easily when she locked it.

"How'd you do that?" Hinata asked.

"I used to be in the ANBU," Itachi answered.

Itachi glanced at Hinata's scantily dressed form. She was still dripping water, and her towel barely covered her. Hinata looked so vulnerable at that moment; her body enticing to even the emotionless Uchiha. However, what caught Itachi's interest most of all was her face, her eyes to be more specific. Innocent, hurt, pain dwelling just below the surface, and almost pleading for something. What did she want?

Itachi took off his cloak so that it wouldn't get wet when he kneeled. As he kneeled, he lightly brushed his hand against Hinata's bloody leg, carefully avoiding the shards that pierced her. Her leg was smooth, soft, cold from the shower, and wet.

The way Itachi touched Hinata made her feel more assured somehow. She relied on touch to feel. Words became hollow to her, and sight a thing of the past. _The past._ Neji said he loved her. **No. Lies. It was all a lie, an illusion. Promises are made to be broken.**

"I'm going to take out the shards," Itachi warned her.

"It'll hurt," Itachi added.

He didn't exactly know why he said that last part. Of course it'd hurt, isn't that obvious? Maybe he just wanted to make sure she wouldn't be so shocked. Like Sasuke was when he killed their clan. No. That has nothing to do with this.

Hinata weakly smiled at the last part Itachi said. It was almost fake._ Fake._ Just like everything else in her life. Was she fake too?

"I've had worse pains," Hinata told him.

Itachi frowned at that comment, pulling out the first shard while doing so. He knew what she meant by that. She didn't deserve banishment from her clan. Even Itachi wasn't kicked out of the Uchiha clan when he was accused of murdering Shisui. Itachi questioned the logic of the head of the Hyuuga clan.

Hinata winced a bit as the first shard was removed, biting her lip to distract herself. She always endured pain, but it could never be numbed out. It felt just as real as the last time. _The last time._ Would this be the last time she felt those touches?

* * *

><p>Before she knew it, all of the shards were removed from Hinata's leg. The weight was lifted, giving Hinata some relief.<p>

"There's some healing ointment near the sink," Hinata mentioned.

Itachi stood up, small puddles of water disturbed. He picked up the tin can, opening it to confirm its contents. He returned to his place next to Hinata, rubbing the white cream on her wounds. The cream felt like it was a fire burning through her skin, but Hinata gritted her teeth and bore through it. Much to his surprise, she started to heal instantly.

"What is that?" Itachi asked her, curiosity almost seeping out.

"Hyuuga clan's secret ointment, created by my mother and me. It contains herbs, medical chakra, aloe vera, and some other stuff," Hinata answered, her face saddened by the memory of her mother.

"Technically, it's not the Hyuuga clan's ointment anymore since I'm the only one alive that knows the recipe. It never actually belonged to the Hyuuga clan. I was never a Hyuuga, and neither was she..." Hinata added.

"I assume your mother was a good woman, then," Itachi stated.

Hinata let out a small laugh at Itachi's statement. It was so true.

"She was. She was always so kind and protective. Hiashi thought she was weak, though, and killed her..." Hinata told him.

"He killed the last person that cared about me..."

Itachi frowned at this. **Is this how Sasuke feels? **

"You're wrong," Itachi denied.

"I care about you, otherwise I wouldn't have given you the help you wanted. The Hyuuga heiress cares, and so does the other members of the Akatsuki, since none of them has attempted to kill you yet," Itachi listed.

"Arigato... Itachi-sama..." Hinata whispered.

Hinata had no idea what to do except thank him. She pulled herself closer to Itachi, wanting to feel the alien feeling of comfort he provided. Itachi read Hinata's actions, clutching her soft, dainty hand.

"Sorry about your... undefined breakable object," Hinata apologized, unsure of what the shattered object was.

"Kisame gave the vase to me for my birthday. Now I have an excuse to throw it in the trash," Itachi told her.

Hinata let out another small laugh at this, once again showing her radiant smile to him. She began to think about the last time Itachi showed her that he cared about her.

* * *

><p>"This would be a really bad time for Hidan-senpai to burst through the door," Hinata remarked.<p>

After that was said, Hidan stormed into the bathroom through the door that Itachi went through, since it was already open. He tried Hinata's door, but her room was locked. He knew that Itachi's and Hinata's room were connected by a bathroom, much like his and his partner's. With that in mind, he entered Itachi's room which was kept open, and entered the bathroom, seeing a figure inside.

"Hinata, the fuuuuuuuuuuck?" Hidan exclaimed, his voice once again changing from a tone of a loud complaint to a loud surprise.

He was going to say, "Hinata, the fucking Hyuuga bitch got the puppet bastard into a bitch fit", but now the Jashinist was once again thinking, "Hinata, the fuck?"

"Speak of the devil..." Itachi muttered.

"Ano... This looks wrong, doesn't it?" Hinata asked.

"Damn right it fucking does! I ain't gonna let you two fuck while the Hyuuga bitch is annoying the shit out of the puppet bastard, though," Hidan answered, determined to get Hinata to do something about Hanabi.

"The puppet bastard throws a bitch fit, the blonde bitch gets involved, the two of them break something, the cheap-ass starts nagging and blames _me _for no fucking reason, the fucking leader gets involved, and eventually all the the entire fucking Akatsuki are fucking arguing with each other!" Hidan explained, familiar with the scenario.

"Why can't you call people by their names, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata observed.

"He called _you _by your name," Itachi noticed.

"That's 'cause she's a fucking epic killing partner," Hidan retorted.

"Arigato, I try my best," Hinata thanked modestly.

"That ain't the fucking point! Fucking do something about the Hyuuga bitch!" Hidan responded.

"I'm kind of naked right now, in case you haven't noticed..." Hinata replied.

Hidan began to check out Hinata's wet body, which was almost glowing in the fluorescent bathroom lights. First her face, her chest, her hips, her legs, her chest, her face, her chest, her hips, her chest, her legs, her chest... He then glanced at the lacy bra on the sink counter. **Damn, she's a fucking double D... Maybe even fucking bigger than that. **

"Hidan-senpai?" Hinata questioned innocently, not noticing Hidan's stares since she couldn't see him staring at her.

Itachi was just plain oblivious.

"Damn straight I noticed..." Hidan muttered.

"So can you get me some clothes or something?" Hinata requested.

"..."

Hidan continued staring at Hinata's oversized breasts, much to her discomfort.

"Can I borrow the healing ointment?" Hinata asked Itachi.

Itachi handed Hinata the container. Hinata located Hidan's location by his chakra source, and accurately threw the healing ointment at his head. Hidan instantly snapped out of the trance he was in.

"The fuck?" Hidan questioned as he was brought back to reality.

"Stop checking me out and get me some clothes, Hidan-senpai," Hinata ordered strictly, yet gently.

"Where's your fucking clothes then, _Hime-sama?_" Hidan asked her, putting as much sarcasm into Hinata's nickname as possible.

"...Good question..." Hinata answered.

"What the fuck? You don't have any fucking clothes?"

"I was previously wandering around a forest with no food, no money, no water, and no sight. The kimono that is now dirty was given to me from a good friend I met while I was blindly wandering around. I washed my clothes while I washed myself," Hinata explained.

"Still better than my life in Konoha, though..." Hinata added.

"Hidan, who owns no shirts, still has more clothes than Hinata... That's not right," Itachi commented.

"It's not fucking right that she fucking wandered around _blind _in the fucking wilderness, and it was _still _better than Konoha... Fucking messed up," Hidan responded.

"It's a life-changing experience. You learn a lot," Hinata told the two.

* * *

><p>The three heard a loud bang, followed by a crash. Which was then followed by some yelling. Then, another crash.<p>

"Fuck! It already fucking started..." Hidan said.

"Let's get moving, then," Hinata said as she stood up.

"You don't have any clothes, Hinata," Itachi reminded her.

"So?" Hinata asked.

"It'd be impractical for you to walk around in nothing but a towel," Itachi told her.

"Wanna carry me then, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked the Uchiha.

"Just put this on," Itachi commanded, handing the blind girl his Akatsuki cloak.

"As you wish, Itachi-sama," Hinata said obediently, about to remove her towel to put on Itachi's cloak.

"_After _Hidan and I leave the room," Itachi firmly told her, much to Hidan's disappointment.

**Such a gentleman, unlike someone I know... **Hinata compliantly followed Itachi's orders, removing her towel once the door closed. Hidan tried to sneak a peek, opening the door a crack, but Itachi quickly reacted by smacking the back of Hidan's head, forcing him to close the door before he could see anything, muttering 'Respect your fucking elders, you fucking bastard'. Hinata took off the towel that covered her, folding it neatly and placing it on the sink counter. She draped the cloak around her, the cloth slightly sticking to her skin. Hinata took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the strong scent around her.

Sweet and spicy, like cinnamon. Hinata was always fond of the smell and taste of cinnamon. Hinata buttoned the cloak, trying to be as accurate as possible with the buttons. The bulky sleeves became a challenge for her. Hinata emerged from the bathroom into Itachi's room, holding up the bottom of the cloak to prevent tripping. It was so obvious that the cloak was too large for the blind girl.

"Your fucking room is so fucking... empty," Hidan observed, his eyes scanning the room.

"It's not empty, it's _clean_," Itachi responded.

"Ready to go," Hinata informed the two, ending their discussion of Itachi's room.

* * *

><p>The three went to help stop the commotion that was started by the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata was trying her best not to trip, while following Itachi's and Hidan's footsteps. Itachi kept a slow pace so Hinata could catch up, which irritated Hidan.<p>

"Damn it, this would've been a lot faster if you just fucking carried her," Hidan complained.

"Why don't you carry her, then," Itachi responded.

"Tch, might as fucking well..." Hidan replied.

Hidan literally swept Hinata off her feet, carrying her bridal style, just as Itachi had done in the past. He lifted her up just as easily as Itachi did, though Hidan was less gentle. The pace immediately picked up once Hidan picked Hinata up. Hinata curiously sniffed at Hidan's scent: death and vanilla, just like his room. Hinata was starting to appreciate the smell of death with vanilla; the combination just seemed right to her. Hinata started to turn a familiar shade of pink after she realized what Hidan was doing.

"You really don't have to..." Hinata started.

"We'll get there the fuck faster without you fucking tripping every three fucking seconds," Hidan assured her.

"...grope me like that, Hidan-senpai..." Hinata finished, her blush deeper.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow at Hidan. Hinata's face continued to blush. Hidan's hand refused to move.

"Tch, at least I'm fucking straight," Hidan said in response to Itachi's cocked eyebrow.

Hidan unwillingly removed his hand from Hinata's ass. Hinata's blush escaped once the pressure on her ass was taken away.

"You still have no right to touch a lady in that manner without permission," Itachi replied.

"Does that mean he has the right to touch a man in that manner without permission?" Hinata inquisitively asked.

"No. Men and women should have the same rights and restrictions," Itachi answered.

"Fucking feminist... Hell, fucking _atheist_..." Hidan muttered.

"May I fucking grope your ass then, Hinata?" Hidan asked her, annoyed by Itachi's support for feminism.

"No," Hinata instantly denied.

"I'd let you fucking grope my ass," Hidan said to the blind girl.

"What?" Hinata questioned, confused.

"I bet you'd fucking grope the Uchiha bastard's ass if you had the chance," Hidan retorted.

"...What?" Hinata repeated, blushing once more.

"So you do want to fucking grope him! You don't want to fucking grope _my _ass? Bitch, my ass is just as fucking good as the bastard's ass!" Hidan exclaimed, offended.

"Why don't you ask Itachi-sama to grope you, then," Hinata suggested.

"What the fuck? I'm fucking straight, not fucking homo, bitch!" Hidan claimed.

"Besides, the fucking bastard would prefer to fucking grope you," Hidan added.

"Itachi-sama, would you rather grope Hidan-senpai or me?" Hinata asked the Uchiha.

**I swear, Hidan is a bad influence on her...**

"Why would I want to grope someone?" Itachi questioned.

"Ano... It's not about the reason, it's about your preference," Hinata answered.

"Well, I'd prefer to not grope anyone," Itachi told her.

"I feel kind of insulted by that..." Hinata muttered, purposely loud enough for Itachi to hear.

"If given the choice, I would choose Hinata," Itachi finally answered.

"After all, I _am _straight," Itachi added.

Hinata smirked in victory, and blushed after realizing what that meant. **...Itachi-sama wants to grope me? No, he'd just rather grope a girl than a guy. **Hidan only agreed with Itachi.

* * *

><p>"This is a really big place..." Hinata noticed.<p>

"Why is it so big?" Hinata questioned.

"That's what she fucking said..." Hidan pointed out.

"That was kind of clever, actually," Hinata complimented with a slight laugh, earning an arrogant smirk from Hidan.

"Don't encourage his behavior," Itachi said, almost warning her.

"So why is the Akatsuki base so... surplus with hallways?" Hinata reworded.

"'Cause the fucking leader is always looking for new bitches to recruit," Hidan answered.

"Does he have a name?" Hinata asked.

"...Fuck, that's a good question... Does the bastard have a fucking name?" Hidan asked Itachi.

"Yes, you just don't listen. If you've listened, you would've heard that the leader prefers to be called Pein. However, Konan calls him by a different name," Itachi answered.

"What does Konan-chan call him?" Hinata asked.

"'Nagato-kun'" Itachi quoted.

"What's his real name?" Hinata wondered aloud.

"Considering that Konan has known him for a longer time than us, Nagato is probably his real name."

"Why the fuck does he want to be called 'Pein'? That's a fucking shitty name," Hidan questioned.

"...Speak of the devil..." Itachi repeated, seeing said person to the side of Hidan.

"The fuck?" Hidan questioned, looking around.

His purple eyes met with Pein's own rippled eyes. Hidan was not expecting Pein to be there, shown when he yelled out 'Holy shit' at him.

"What the fuck? How long have you been there, you fucking bastard?" Hidan questioned, not liking when people snuck up on him.

"He's been there since you asked why he wanted to be called 'Pein', not long really," Hinata told Hidan.

"Interesting, she was able to sense me without any sight, and you were not..." Pein commented.

"Whatever, fucking bastard... Fucking sucks living with these fucking ninjas..." Hidan muttered.

"May I ask why Hidan is carrying Hinata? Has she been hurt?" Pein questioned.

"People like to carry me, for some reason..." Hinata told him.

The Akatsuki leader cocked an eyebrow, looking at Itachi for a reasonable answer. That's when he noticed Itachi didn't have his cloak on. Strange, because he never walked around in casual clothes. Even when he joined, he was wearing ANBU armor.

"Hinata kept tripping on my cloak because it was too big of a size for her, so Hidan chose to carry her so that we would get to the source of action faster," Itachi explained.

"Why is Hinata wearing your cloak, Itachi?" Pein inquired.

"Do we have to tell you?" Hinata asked.

"Yes. I am the leader of this 'organization', so I am entitled to the knowledge of things in which I ask from the members," Pein answered, purposely putting air quotes around the word organization.

"Fucking big-ass words..." Hidan muttered.

"...Really?" Hinata asked Pein.

"Yes, really."

"..."

"Well?" Pein questioned.

"I'm naked underneath this cloak," Hinata bluntly told him.

"..."

"I don't even want to know..." Pein told the three, walking away.

* * *

><p>Nobody spoke a word after Pein left. Hinata heard screams and explosions getting louder, indicating they were near the desired destination. The three entered the chaotic living room, preparing themselves for whatever is in store for them.<p>

"I'll _smite_ you, Hyuuga brat," Sasori promised, pinning Hanabi to a wall with chakra threads with one hand, a kunai shining in the other one.

"Freaking Hyuuga, un! Kill that bitch so bad, it'll still be hurting when it's in hell, danna, un!" Deidara suggested, on Sasori's right side.

Deidara let several clay creatures crawl, creating several small explosions. What Hanabi did had to be really bad to have Deidara and Sasori on the same side. Hanabi was obviously a helpless victim to Sasori's rage, unable to struggle. It was when a lamp broke that Kakuzu stomped into the room to figure out what was going on.

"Damn it all, that lamp was $5! All the light that it's provided has gone to a waste, you destructive fools!" Kakuzu complained.

"It's just fucking $5, cheap-ass bastard!" Hidan shouted back.

"Just $5? Those are $5 that we need for food, water, light, and other necessities! Money that gives us life! If it weren't for 'just $5', we wouldn't even be alive, you useless idiot!" Kakuzu yelled.

"Fucking bastard! Are you just going to fucking whine all day long?" Hidan asked, putting Hinata down and stomping up to Kakuzu.

"This is all your fault, stupid! If it weren't for you, millions, no trillions of dollars would have been saved! You just _had _to drag that Hyuuga here!" Kakuzu accused.

"Shut the fuck up, it wasn't even my fucking idea!" Hidan retorted.

"It's because of you that the plan was carried out!" Kakuzu replied, not backing down.

"The Hyuuga bitch was supposed to be babysat by that fucking weed! I swear to Jashin, where the fuck is that plant bastard?" Hidan questioned, noticing that Zetsu always seems to be missing from the infamous Akatsuki arguments.

Kisame walked in, hearing all the yelling and explosions. He was wondering if someone had infiltrated the Akatsuki base, though that was highly unlikely. _Something _had to cause all the loud bangs and shouts, though.

"What the hell happened here?" Kisame questioned, a bit surprised at how much of a disaster the situation was.

"That _ignorant _Hyuuga brat told me that my puppets looked creepy and gay after she mentioned that I looked like a weakling," Sasori answered Kisame through gritted teeth.

"The freaking Hyuuga brat called me a flat-chested girl, and spit on my face, un! I didn't even do anything to her, un!" Deidara told Kisame.

"Tough luck, Hyuuga..." Kisame said to Hanabi.

"Whatever, fish-man. At least I don't have blue balls," Hanabi retorted, smirking.

"You little bitch, you'll pay for that!" Kisame guaranteed, baring his sharp teeth.

Konan had witnessed everything, and set up a soundproof barrier around herself and her sleeping couch beforehand. Inside the transparent turquoise barrier, she was filing her nails, ignoring everything on the outside. Pein entered the room, also in wonder of what was happening.

"Oh God... I don't want to know anymore..." Pein said to nobody.

The orange haired man walked towards Konan's barrier, knocking on a wall. Konan noticed Pein knocking, and created an opening in the door, letting him and some din inside. He entered, collapsing onto Konan's couch. He gave up on trying to achieve peace in the war-filled Akatsuki base. Might as well relax while he still can.

"Why can't they all just get along?" Pein asked Konan.

"What the Hyuuga heiress did was pretty bad. The Hyuuga even flung a few insults at me, but I just let Sasori-san handle it," Konan answered, skimming through today's newspaper.

"Hmm... Seems like the Middle East is at it again..." Konan remarked as she looked at an article.

"Sometimes I feel like the Middle East has more conflict than the Akatsuki," Pein replied.

At that moment, Hidan came flying towards the barrier, his face slowly sliding down as he hit the wall. He immediately got up, cursing more unheard words at Kakuzu.

"I'm starting to re-think that statement," Pein told her.

* * *

><p>Hinata blankly stared at the scene before her, along with Itachi. The only difference in their stares was that Hinata was blind, though Itachi would be joining her.<p>

"Should we do something, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked.

"Technically, it's not required," Itachi answered.

"How'd you know that the Hyuuga heiress's face was 'priceless' before?" Itachi asked Hinata.

"Well, Konan-chan kept muttering it over and over again, so I assumed it was," Hinata told him.

Itachi watched the disaster before him, while Hinata listened.

"You know, I'm kind of hungry. What I ate earlier wasn't really enough to satisfy my stomach," Hinata said to the Uchiha.

"What'd you eat earlier?" the Uchiha questioned.

"Blood," Hinata answered.

"Hidan is really a bad influence on you..." Itachi responded.

"That's why I need a good influence like you to balance myself out, Itachi-sama," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck do you fucking suggest we do, cheap-ass?" Hidan questioned the elder.<p>

"Let's just kill the Hyuuga brat!" Kakuzu yelled.

"The fuck? We can't fucking kill her! We fucking need her for ransom!" Hidan shouted back.

Hanabi let out a sigh of relief, though the chakra threads around her wrists tightened, almost causing them to bleed.

"I'm sure the Hyuuga brat has a good bounty. She's a part of the main branch of the Hyuuga clan, after all," Kakuzu told his partner.

"Bastard, that idea is actually fucking good..." Hidan muttered.

"Let's smite the bitch to pieces!" Hidan declared.

Everyone that was ticked off by Hanabi at the moment agreed. Hanabi shrunk down in fear.

"Nee-chan! Protect me!" Hanabi squealed.

"From what I heard, you had this coming. Insulting three S-rank criminals can do you no good. Karma shall smite you with all its wrath," Hinata told Hanabi.

"Hinata..." Itachi said, wanting Hinata to reconsider her words.

"Older siblings don't turn on younger siblings in their time of need," Itachi reminded her.

Hinata didn't even mention the sardonic irony in that statement. The man who killed his entire clan, sparing only his younger brother to berate him on his weakness was lecturing Hinata on being a good older sibling. **Itachi-sama did that to protect the village, though. He spared Sasuke-kun to protect him... **

"I warned her that the other people here might kill her. She needs to learn respect. I mean, God knows how many times she called me a weakling behind my back..." the blind girl replied.

"How'd you know that?" Hanabi asked her, her wrists starting to bleed.

"So you _did _call me a weakling behind my back! Shame on you..." Hinata reprimanded her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please help me, Nee-chan!" Hanabi pleaded.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to _them,_" Hinata told her.

Hanabi's eyes met the eyes of the three people that wanted to kill her at the moment. Deep inside, if you looked really hard, there was the smallest ounce of pain that still resided from their pasts. It was the same with everyone in the Akatsuki. Hanabi felt like the real monster, living a selfish life and antagonizing the people that faced more pain than she did. She brought back the insecurities from their pasts. Hanabi even did this to her own sister.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said... I was just stupid. Please, forgive me," Hanabi begged, feeling real remorse for once in her life.

"I'll consider that..." Sasori told her.

Hanabi sighed in relief.

"... after you die," Sasori finished, tightening the chakra threads even more.

"Smite the bitch!" Hidan cheered.

"Rip it to shreds!" Kisame suggested.

"Blow it to bits, un!" Deidara recommended.

"Make it scream until its vocal chords bleed!" Hinata shouted.

"Nee-chan!" Hanabi responded, feeling betrayed.

"If I don't get to see any action, I should at least get to hear some screams," Hinata replied.

"I used to think you were the most mentally stable person in this place," Itachi stated to the blind girl.

"I probably am, you know," Hinata replied.

"Sadly, that is true," Itachi acknowledged, his tone unchanging.

* * *

><p>Hanabi screamed as the chakra threads cut deeply into her wrists and ankles. Hinata only sighed, lifting the bottom of the cloak as she sauntered over to where the chakra that could only belong to a Hyuuga was.<p>

"May we discuss this, Sasori-senpai?" Hinata requested, her voice as formal as it could be.

"Hell no, un!" Deidara replied.

"I suppose we may. I am a reasonable man, after all," Sasori accepted, slightly loosening his indirect grip on the Hyuuga heiress.

Deidara stared at the redhead with his blue eyes, shocked at what Sasori just said.

"What, un?" Deidara questioned in disbelief.

"But danna-" Deidara whined.

"Hush your impudent mouth. I'm having a _mature _conversation with one of my peers," Sasori ordered the blonde.

"While I am flattered that you consider someone like me to be your peer, I must say that the act you were performing earlier was quite disagreeable from my perspective," Hinata admitted.

"How so? Wouldn't it be beneficial if that benighted brat had its riddance?" Sasori questioned.

"While that argument is valid in multiple ways, I must deny. However, I am not siding with it, I just feel that there would be more advantages if we did not bring it to its life's end," Hinata argued.

Itachi noticed how the two referred to the Hyuuga heiress as if she was an irritating object. He reasoned that her way of referring to the Hyuuga heiress was a way of getting Sasori to agree with her, as favoritism would not be Hinata's main point of her persuasion. Hanabi only bit her tongue, preventing any words from slipping to mess up her chance to live.

He observed her posture. She was standing up tall, her hands to the side. Looking her client in the eye was not required on her part. Hinata was confident in this negotiation, something that she wouldn't have been in the past. She would have been stuttering, playing with her fingers, looking at her feet, and slouching if it had taken place 4 years prior, but this was the present.

"Enlighten me, won't you?" Sasori asked of the blind girl.

"I shall. It's been brought to my attention that there would be more money from the Hyuuga's corpse prize on the black market, since its forehead is in lack of a seal. However, we could also collect the money from the ransom and _then _exchange its corpse for the green stacks of paper that Kakuzu-senpai seems to fond of. As a result, we would be able to benefit more in that situation, versus cashing it in now," Hinata explained.

"If the ransom does not go as planned?" Sasori questioned.

"We collect its bounty," Hinata answered.

Sasori pondered a bit on the topic, staring Hinata to death if she wasn't blind.

"Clever woman you are, you have very much enlightened me, indeed," Sasori complimented.

"Our plan shall be your plan. Though I do have one condition," Sasori confirmed.

"Which is?" Hinata asked.

"I must be given the right to behead the brat when the time comes," Sasori told her.

"Very well, I accept your conditions. It's a shame we can't legalize this contract with pen and paper," Hinata humored.

"Our kind is not the legal type," Sasori replied.

Hinata held out her hand to seal the deal. Sasori reacted by shaking it with a fairly good grip, concluding the negotiation and liberating Hanabi from her restrictions. With that, the quarreling and cacophony in the base had ceased. Hinata gestured towards where she felt Hanabi was.

* * *

><p>"Come now, let us tend to your wounds," Hinata said to the youngest one.<p>

Hanabi got up, walking towards her Nee-chan. Itachi figured out that he was also needed, and also walked towards Hinata.

"Where'd you put that healing ointment, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked him.

"It's on the sink in the bathroom," he answered back.

"Let's go to the mentioned destination, then," Hinata proposed.

"Nee-chan, you have a really good tongue," Hanabi praised.

"That's what she fucking said!" Hidan yelled from the other side of the room.

Hinata let out a giggle at this, much to Hanabi's confusion. Somehow, Hidan always catches the dirty things that happen in the Akatsuki base.

"Said what?" Hanabi asked, confused.

"How old are you?" Hinata asked Hanabi.

"11 years and counting," Hanabi replied.

"Have you been educated on the human's reproductive system?" Hinata asked her.

"What? No," Hanabi answered.

"Then it is none of your concern what she said," Hinata said to Hanabi.

* * *

><p>The three continued walking down the seemingly endless hallways. Hinata occasionally tripped, but was getting used to walking around in Itachi's cloak.<p>

"This place is even bigger than the Hyuuga manor," Hanabi commented after a good 10 minutes of walking.

"Nee-chan, can you make my Byakugan work again?" Hanabi requested.

"Yes, I have the ability to," Hinata answered.

"_Will _you make my Byakugan work again?" Hanabi rephrased.

"After what happened back there, I don't think you should be given such an advantage like dojutsu until you get back to the Hyuuga manor," Hinata told her.

"I said sorry!" Hanabi argued.

"Sorry doesn't do anything unless you mean it and want to do something about it. I had to persuade Sasori-senpai to let you live," Hinata replied.

"What do you expect me to do?" Hanabi asked Hinata.

"I expect you to be nicer to people. That doesn't mean the people that can kill you, that means everyone. Elders, superiors, subordinates, underlings, peers, everyone. One day, you're going to be mean to someone and that person will become corrupt and hold a grudge against everyone that made the person like that. That person will end up killing the people that made he/she like that. When you're nice, people are nice back to you. Or at least you think they're nice, anyways," Hinata explained to Hanabi.

"Sometimes you're nice to everyone, and they're nice to you. Though later, the people you thought that cared about you don't help you in your time of need. At least you'll have a good reason to kill them all," Hinata added.

"Are you going to kill your ex-friends from Konoha?" Hanabi asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Probably. Probably not. I guess it depends on my mood," Hinata answered, her thoughts only half intentioned.

"You don't have to kill them. You can just talk it out, like you did before," Hanabi advised.

"It's the other way around, Hanabi-chan. _They_ want to kill _me._ Don't you get it? I'm a criminal now, it's the law. Exit the gates for good, and you get the death penalty. It's pretty simple," Hinata explained.

"They don't want to kill you, Nee-chan," Hanabi assured her.

"Of course they do. There was no real bond in the first place, and shinobi must kill traitors," Hinata objected.

"How do you know that they don't still care about you?" Hanabi asked.

"They never looked for me. Nobody did. Nobody cared when I was gone for 4 years. Nobody noticed."

"Neji-kun cares," Hanabi opposed.

"He doesn't really care about me or love me, it's just guilt. He pities me," Hinata countered.

"At least he tried, though," Hanabi stated.

"Yes, he tried. A futile attempt, but still an attempt. Pathetic, one might say. I don't want to return to Konoha. When you get hurt so many times somewhere, you tend to not want to go back."

For a moment, all the three heard were their steps and the distant chatter.

"What about that one Uchiha guy?" Hanabi asked.

"You mean Sasuke-kun?" Hinata questioned.

"Yeah. How come he doesn't want to come back to Konoha?"

"Do you want to tell her, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked.

"You can tell her," Itachi allowed.

"Well, Sasuke-kun was also hurt in Konoha. He left because the pain drove him away, and he wants power to try to end his pain. The pain kind of helps him move forward," Hinata explained.

"You know, people think he's some kind of freak who tried to kill his best friend. They're not any better, spreading these filthy rumors about him," Hinata added.

"Wow... I never thought about it that way. I used to think this Sasuke guy was just crazy," Hanabi admitted.

"Stop thinking, Hanabi-chan. Understand," Hinata advised.

* * *

><p>The three continued walking, not thinking of any topic to talk about. It was such an insanely large base. <strong>How does Itachi-sama find his way around here?<strong>

"Will you make my Byakugan work now?" Hanabi requested once again.

"Why do you even need the Byakugan?" Hinata questioned, skeptical of Hanabi's intentions.

"I wanna train," Hanabi answered.

"Train? As in cause even more destruction to this place?" Hinata questioned.

"No, I want to increase the distance that my sight can travel to," Hanabi denied.

"Stop trying to spy on people when they're naked! You're worse than Hidan-senpai," Hinata claimed, annoyed with Hanabi's antics.

"I wasn't even thinking that!" Hanabi argued.

"You're the Hyuuga that told me that you could use the Byakugan to see through people's clothes, something I never wanted to know," Hinata stated, evidence going against Hanabi.

"Ugh," Hanabi grunted in defeat.

The odds were all against the young Hyuuga. Hanabi knew she couldn't win. Hinata foiled Hanabi's plans of gathering information about the Akatsuki. All she knew was that they were deadly and wanted to kill her. She could inform Konoha of their appearances and abilities...

Hanabi decided against leaking information about the Akatsuki. She learned so much, had her Byakugan saved, and started to try to become a new person altogether. How could she betray them like that? Hanabi didn't care about the invisible boundary of good an evil; it was fake. Maybe her life was a lie, too.

Hanabi wasn't even paying attention to where she was going as she pondered on her life being a lie. Soon, she was separated from Itachi and Hinata without even realizing it. The moment the Hyuuga heiress noticed she was lost, was when she walked straight into a wall. She blinked, and checked her surroundings. Hinata and Itachi were nowhere to be found.

Hinata felt an empty feeling on her right side. Almost as if Hanabi was gone. She carefully listened to the footsteps, and only heard two pairs of feet walking. Well, one pair walking, another pair struggling to not trip on the fabric around them.

"Hanabi-chan?" Hinata called, wanting to confirm her suspicions.

She waited a few seconds. After a few seconds, Hinata knew something wasn't right. Hanabi wasn't the type to daydream, that was Hinata. Hanabi would've given a response right away. Hinata reached out to her right, only half-expecting to touch Hanabi's shoulder.

Hinata only grasped air, sending a mild jolt of concern throughout her. Hanabi was bound to get into more trouble. If she wasn't found soon, she was sure to be dead by the day's end.

"Hanabi-chan? Where are you?" Hinata questioned, waiting for an answer from Hanabi that never came.

"The Hyuuga heiress appears to be missing," Itachi finally answered.

"Do you think she'll try to stay out of trouble?" Hinata asked, expecting a negative answer.

"The probability of that is highly unlikely," Itachi told her.

"Darn, I finally have a negotiation without any kind of stuttering, and it goes to a waste..." Hinata muttered.

Hinata stopped, prompting Itachi to stop with her. Hinata began thinking of a way to find Hanabi as soon as possible. **If only I weren't blind... **However, the Byakugan would do nothing to help in this situation. The Akatsuki base was the size of a continent at the very least. Hinata only came up with one solution.

* * *

><p>"...Marco?" Hinata shouted into the mostly empty hallways.<p>

It was a puerile solution, but Hinata could think of nothing else. The spacious hallways echoed with Hinata's call, carrying her voice to every dark corner. To her surprise, she got an answer from many people.

"Polo!" sounded the answers of at least 9 people, with some variation of the wording of the answer.

Sasori's, Zetsu's, Hidan's, Deidara's, Kisame's, Pein's, Kakuzu's, and Konan's voices were heard in the answer. It seems like they are fond of the childish game of Marco Polo. After noticing the war outside of her barrier was gone, Konan let the barrier disappear. Everyone that was in the previously chaos-filled room was scattered throughout different corners of the base.

"Has anyone seen the Hyuuga? It got lost," Hinata questioned the empty hallways.

"Hah! Sucks for that bitch!" Hidan replied/shouted, finding it funny that a Hyuuga got lost.

"It got lost? Isn't it supposed to be a Hyuuga?" Kisame questioned loudly, surprised that a Hyuuga got lost.

"I deactivated its Byakugan before I took a shower. I can't take a shower with a Byakugan user in the building," Hinata answered.

"Hyuugas are supposed to have a natural sense of direction, no matter where they are," Sasori stated loud enough for it to echo.

"How do you know that, un?" Deidara question-yelled.

"I'm right next to you, you don't have to shout," Sasori reminded the blonde, annoyed with him.

"Hyuugas just automatically know every inch of any place they're in. I would know, I made one into a puppet," Sasori answered, audible enough so that everyone in the Akatsuki base could hear.

"It could've chosen to abandon you," Kakuzu suggested.

"Yeah, it is a Hyuuga, after all. Betraying people to get an advantage in life... I tried making friends with a Hyuuga once; it didn't go too well," Konan agreed.

Hanabi heard the conversation about her. She finally decided to speak up.

"I didn't abandon Nee-chan! I just... wandered off..." Hanabi denied, her words ringing throughout the base.

"Oh, so you're still alive!" Hinata said loudly in relief.

"Of course I'm alive!" Hanabi responded , as if stating the obvious.

"Okay, just keep saying Polo after I say Marco," Hinata told the Hyuuga.

"That's the best you can come up with?" Hanabi questioned.

Hinata didn't answer Hanabi's rude question. Instead, she courteously requested that Itachi and she should eat. After all, she still hadn't eaten a proper meal yet. It made her wonder how the other Akatsuki members made it through the day.

* * *

><p>"I don't feel we should really be going out to eat at the moment," Itachi said to the blind girl.<p>

"Because I'm wearing nothing but your cloak, which doesn't even fit me right?"

"Precisely..."

"I could change into my own cloak," Hinata said.

"You mentioned earlier that the Hiddan Leaf Village was finally more aware of the Akatsuki," Itachi stated.

"We can go hunting for forest animals, or something..." Hinata suggested.

"I'd like to point out that I am a vegetarian," Itachi mentioned.

"...The bloodthirsty serial killer that killed his entire clan is a _vegetarian_?" Hinata muttered in shock.

"I'm not the bloodthirsty one, that's you," Itachi replied, hearing Hinata's mutter.

"True," Hinata acknowledged.

"Hn. Well, we could eat some fruit from the garden," Itachi suggested.

"There's a garden here, too? I love gardens!" Hinata said in excitement.

"Yes, that's why the others haven't starved to death, yet," Itachi explained.

"Nee-chan?" Hanabi called after not hearing her voice anymore.

"Oh, hey Hanabi-chan. We're gonna ditch you," Hinata announced.

"What! Where are you going?" Hanabi questioned, not liking the idea of being left behind.

"Itachi-sama and I are going to visit the garden," Hinata told her.

"Oooooh! They're going on another date!" Konan declared.

"Oh snap!" Hidan commented.

"Wooot! Itachi is a womanizer!" Kisame cheered.

"He's going to restore the Uchiha clan, un," Deidara said.

"I bet you all $10 that their relationship will go uphill," Kakuzu told them all.

"What the fuck? They're like fucking day and night!" Hidan argued.

"Opposites attract," Pein stated.

"The fuck? How the fuck do fucking opposites attract?" Hidan questioned.

"69, I rest my case," Sasori answered.

"Have fun, you two!" white Zetsu wished.

**"They're going to have fun, alright..." black Zetsu told them all. **

The entire Akatsuki base filled with cheers, claps, and woo's. They were purposely discussing their relationship within Itachi's and Hinata's range of hearing.

"It's not a date... Right?" Hinata questioned.

"It's whatever they want it to be, apparently," Itachi answered.

"So it _is_ a date?" Hinata curiously asked.

"It might as well be," Itachi told her, shrugging.

"Yeah, it's a date!" Hinata announced.

"Wooooooot!" came the cheers from Hinata's friends.

"Nee-chan has a... boyfriend?" Hanabi asked, surprised.

"Wrong, Hanabi-chan. That's not the way I roll. First comes dating, second comes the 'I love you'- which initiates the boyfriend/girlfriend/lovers phase, third comes proposal- which starts the period of being fiancees, fourth is the wedding- starting the husband/wife era," Hinata answered.

* * *

><p>"There's a separate category for S-E-X partners," Hinata added.<p>

"Nee-chan, I know how to spell, you know," Hanabi told her in annoyance.

"S-T-F-U, bitch," Hidan spelled out, annoyed with the Hyuuga's mere existence.

"Stfu? What's that?" Hanabi asked.

Many began to laugh in their individual locations. Even Itachi knew what stfu stood for.

"L-O-L, the Hyuuga is all like W-T-F," Konan commented.

"O-M-G, L-M-A-O," Hinata said as a burst of laughter engulfed her.

"I-K-R, un," Deidara agreed, playing along.

Hanabi was utterly confused, not knowing what those peculiar acronyms meant. She continued to walk around, trying to find her room. Hanabi once again questioned why the Akatsuki base had to be so spacious.

* * *

><p>Itachi and Hinata decided to get their "date" started, leaving the other Akatsuki members to converse in their little discussion. Hinata changed into her own cloak, and returned Itachi's cloak to its owner. It felt better without the extra weight of fabric trying to trip her. Itachi merely laid his cloak on his bed, with the intentions of having it washed later.<p>

The two exited the front "door" of the Akatsuki base, which took a good 20 minutes or so. Nobody bothered to fix the door after Kisame knocked it down, so Sasori made a temporary "fix" by taping a blanket in front of the doorway. Itachi gently pulled Hinata towards the side of the Akatsuki base, turning so that they went behind the building.

Itachi and Hinata entered the garden, stepping into the soft grass. Hinata could smell the faintest trace of flowers in the air. The garden was merely a small clearing in the forest, but Konan had planted some flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables here and there, and named it a garden. Konan tended for the garden, with some occasional help from the other Akatsuki members. Hinata heard the distant splashing of a waterfall somewhere.

Itachi strolled over to an apple tree. Hinata instinctively followed him, holding onto Itachi's wrist. He plucked two ripe fruit from the tree, handing one to Hinata. She instantly accepted it, taking a big bite from the apple. Whether fruits were washed or not seemed to be no concern in this situation.

"It feels like this garden is the type that's really beautiful," Hinata guessed.

If Itachi were the type to say cheesy pick-up lines, he would've responded with 'Not as beautiful as you'. However, Itachi knew that this wasn't even a date, since Hinata only needed someone to escort her to some food since she was blind and couldn't get food by herself. Though even if they were dating, Itachi would never utter a cheesy pick-up line. It just wasn't his nature.

"Yes, it is," Itachi replied.

Hinata sat down under the cool shade of the tree to eat the apple, her legs stretched out in front of her. Itachi stayed standing, leaning against the trunk of the apple tree, taking a bite out of his own apple. **Itachi-sama must have a thing for apples. Hmm, cinnamon and apples... **A crow landed in a branch of the apple tree, as if observing the two. Some more crows gathered near the apple tree, watching.

By the time Hinata took her fifth bite from her apple, Itachi and she were surrounded by crows. The light flapping of wings and the call of a crow made Hinata aware of the crows around her. Zetsu, using his Mayflower technique, decided to spy on Itachi's and Hinata's date. The crows detected Zetsu, and started to attack him. Zetsu left, not wanting to feel the wrath of the crows. After Hinata finished her apple with only the core remaining, a crow unexpectedly swooped down and stole it.

* * *

><p>"I have a weird feeling that we're being watched," Hinata sensed, shifting under the unknown gaze of the crows.<p>

"Perhaps it's because of the crows surrounding us," Itachi suggested.

"Why are there crows surrounding us?" Hinata questioned.

"Crows seem to like to follow me," Itachi answered.

Itachi threw his apple core towards a crow. The entire flock started to gather around it, struggling to get a bite.

"That sounds kinda scary, having something following you and watching your every move," Hinata replied.

"No, I don't mind it. We're already being stalked by Hidan and Konan," Itachi told her.

Hidan and Konan, who had been hiding in a bush that was a good distance away from the two, were surprised that Itachi knew they were being watched. Hidan and Konan thought that the crows that were surrounding them had covered their movements and sounds. It was almost as if Itachi could communicate with the crows.

"Shit!" Hidan whispered.

"I know, but it's still weird having people stalking you," Hinata responded.

Hidan and Konan were surprised that Hinata also knew. Were they really that bad at spying? Though even Zetsu was found out by the crows...

"Konan-chan did a good job of trying to hide her chakra, but Hidan-senpai was just way too easy to sense," Hinata commented.

Hidan and Konan stood up from their hiding place, not seeing the point of trying to conceal themselves anymore. Hidan crossed his arms, feeling pissed about living with ninjas again. Konan let out a nervous laugh, not knowing how she'll be punished. Hidan and Konan approached the two, so that they it would be easier for Itachi and Hinata to hear there excuses. They stood in the shade, grabbing their own apple to eat.

"Ahaha, we just wanted to make sure you youngsters were doing okay on your date," Konan said, treating the two as if they were two teenagers dating and she and Hidan were nosey parents.

"Ano... It's not even a date, it's just that I'm blind and can't find my own food," Hinata replied.

"Then what the fuck is with all the hand holding?" Hidan questioned, biting into his apple.

"...Again, I'm blind..." Hinata answered.

"What about when Itachi-kun was carrying you in the base?" Konan asked in an attempt to corner them, biting into her own apple.

"She was unconscious," Itachi answered, knowing Hinata didn't remember.

"What the fuck was with you in the bathroom Hinata when she was in nothing but a fucking towel?" Hidan questioned, putting one hand on his hip.

"I slipped and a vase crashed, which cut my leg. He used a magic ointment to heal it," Hinata explained.

"Magic ointment?" Konan asked, perplexed by Hinata's wording.

"It's the ointment that my mother and I created, designed to instantly heal wounds. I haven't really found a name for it, yet," Hinata answered.

"Well, what about what you said before about it being a date?" Konan asked, taking another bite out of the fruit.

"I was just kidding," Hinata replied.

"Well, define 'date'," Hinata told her.

"Well, it's like the day of a month, described by a number. Like December 1st, December 2nd, etc. It can also be a type of nut. A date in this situation, is described as a social or romantic appointment or engagement," Konan defined.

"Then technically, this is a date in social terms. Which would mean I have a date with Hidan tomorrow at a ramen shop," Hinata responded.

"That's not a fucking date! That's a fucking ransom exchange!" Hidan denied while eating his apple.

"Can we go shopping afterwards, then? I really need new clothes," Hinata requested.

"What the fuck? I'm not going to go fucking bra shopping with you!" Hidan denied.

"You sure? Because you seemed really interested in my breasts earlier..." Hinata said, referring to the bathroom incident.

Konan started to laugh at this, much to Hidan's embarrassment.

"Of course I'm fucking sure! Go ask the fucking Uchiha bastard, or something," Hidan told her.

"I'll go shopping with you, Hina-chan," Konan offered, much to Itachi's unseen and Hidan's visible relief.

"Thank Jashin-sama for that bitch..." Hidan muttered.

"Okay, but we might have to, ano, _exterminate_ some problems along the way tomorrow," Hinata worded, not wanting another speech on how killing is wrong.

"Let's go the day after tomorrow, then," Konan suggested.

"Okay," Hinata confirmed.

* * *

><p>"Hidan-senpai, you know what's going to happen tomorrow, right?" Hinata asked, wanting to reassure herself.<p>

"Damn right I know! We go to the fucking ramen shop before sunset with the Hyuuga bitch, wait 'till the Hyuuga bastard comes, get the fucking money, and get back to the Akatsuki base," Hidan confirmed.

"We might have to fight some people, you know. The Akatsuki is not on good terms with the Hidden Leaf Village. Plus, there's that other Hyuuga," Hinata told him, referring to Neji.

"Tch, we fucking killed 10 jounins together, we can totally fucking handle a lovesick bastard and 3 jounins," Hidan arrogantly boasted.

"10 jounins? At the same time?" Konan questioned in surprise.

"Damn straight we did! It was so fucking awesome, there was a whole fucking shower of blood everywhere!" Hidan bragged.

"Yeah, it was really fun," Hinata agreed.

"Killing for pleasure is horrible," Itachi commented.

"Shinobi live to fucking kill, dumbass! It's their fucking job!" Hidan argued.

"You know, he's actually right for once," Konan said.

"It doesn't mean you should kill just because you feel like it. You ruin lives when you kill one person," Itachi replied.

"Yes, but the reason why they die is because they're shinobi. They sacrifice themselves to protect their village. We give them a chance to fight back. It's not like we go out killing ordinary citizens just to satisfy bloodlust," Hinata responded.

"To think, we kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress just to get money for a hot springs trip..." Hinata mused.

"That's the reason why you kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress? I thought you kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress for your plan," Itachi said to Hinata.

"Yes, that too, but the main goal is getting the money for the hot springs trip," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>"Plan? What plan?" Konan asked.<p>

"I still hold a grudge against the head of the Hyuuga clan for blinding me, so I'm planning on slowly breaking apart the clan," Hinata explained.

"How the fuck do you plan on doing that?" Hidan questioned.

"Spread the truth about the Hyuuga clan, making the village more aware of them. When people realize that Hiashi banished her 'daughter' because he thought she was weak, but the 'daughter' beats up the Hyuuga prodigy, people will question Hiashi's logic, thinking him to be just a cruel, insane man, which happens to be true. The lower branch will question the main branch's authority, thinking them cruel to even their own members. The Hyuuga heiress is kidnapped, and a large sum of money is subtracted from the Hyuuga clan's funds, thus weakening their foundation. Soon, the tension becomes too much, and the lower branch rebels. The main branch blames Hiashi, and rebels against him, too. Eventually, the Hyuuga clan just falls apart without a leader," Hinata explained.

"Something along those lines. Konoha might do something about the Hyuuga clan. The Hyuuga clan might be outcasted instead, and plan a coup d'e etat or something," Hinata said, not exactly knowing her plan.

"Then, some ANBU will kill off the entire clan to prevent a war," Hinata finished.

Itachi found the scenario that Hinata was describing strangely familiar. It reminded him of his intentions for the Uchiha massacre. Hinata didn't know about Itachi's true intentions, though, right?

"Well, what the fuck are you going to do if that shit doesn't work out?" Hidan asked her.

"I shall do it the 'Itachi Way'. Massacre the entire clan, and spare the youngest," Hinata answered.

Now that was just _way_ too familiar. Itachi couldn't let that nightmare happen all over again.

"Revenge isn't really good for anyone. Starting a chain of hatred will only erode humanity," Itachi told her.

"Maybe I just like messing with people. Trying to make them feel the pain that I had, isn't that what I'm doing? Or maybe I want them to care about me. They never cared, they only pitied me. What am I doing, anyways? Who am I? What do I want? I'll find my own reason. No more hiding, no more following, no more running. I'm going to finish what Hiashi started," Hinata claimed.

"The fuck? Screw those bastards, _we _fucking care! Who gives a shit about those bitches?" Hidan said to her.

"Hina-chan, we'll always be there for you," Konan assured her.

"Friends don't turn their backs on friends," Itachi told Hinata.

"Arigato... It's just that the pain still hurts... I hate being blind. I hate this darkness. I hate that I wake up to the darkness that reminds me of how much pain I was in before. I hate that I was so alone, so scared, so weak," Hinata said to the three.

"Why did I get help from the people that were supposed to be my enemies instead of the people that were supposed to be my friends?"

Hinata's voice faltered with emotion. She refused to shed any tears at the moment.

"There's no such thing as good or evil, right or wrong. People have different perspectives, so they create their own reality. The reality that we trust shatters, proving it to only be an illusion. Sometimes, you just have to follow what your heart says," Itachi answered.

Hinata sighed, laying down on the grass. She crossed her arms behind her head.

"Life really sucks," Hinata stated.

"Ain't that the fucking truth..." Hidan concurred, laying down next to her.

"Mmhmm," Konan agreed, following Hidan's example.

"I couldn't put it better any other way," Itachi said with the same opinion as Hinata.

Itachi remained in his position, looking up at the sky. Konan and Hidan threw their apple cores at a random location, for the crows to eat. They watched as the evening sun dropped behind the horizon, bringing upon a cold, dark night. Hinata knew that she would be able to face the cold darkness now, because she wasn't alone. She finally found people that thought of her as an equal; people that cared about her.

"We'll fucking help you through all the shit that happens, 'cause that's what us homies are for," Hidan assured Hinata, looking up at the stars.

**Maybe life is worth living, after all.**

* * *

><p><strong>No lemons yet... Still building up that plot, you know.<strong> **To the person that asked about me using dollars for the currency instead of yen, I did that because I do not understand the conversion of currency... **

**Shinigami means 'death god'. Yes, I read Bleach. **

**Imouto means 'little sister'. **

**Remember to review! A lot of you seem to forget.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the slow updates. No reviews = no motivation.**

* * *

><p>The four Akatsuki members fell asleep in their position, not wanting to move from their spots. Even Itachi stayed, since he couldn't leave Hinata's side without warning her. The night was cold, though Hinata was quite used to sleeping under a tree. Not one of the four felt the cold pierce through their skins. All who had slept that night under the apple tree had been very warm and comfortable with the presence of the others.<p>

Hinata woke up an hour after the sun rose, feeling an odd wave of anxiety spread throughout her. The faint aroma of flowers surrounded her. She remembered what was to happen that day, and had no idea what to think of it. To distract herself, Hinata was trying to remember what had happened before she fell asleep. **I don't remember going back inside the base... Did I fall asleep in the garden? **Hinata became assured that her assumptions were true when she heard Konan's incoherent sleep talk.

The familiar sound of an apple being bitten into reached Hinata's ears. The person couldn't be Konan, since she was asleep, so she was ruled out. Hidan was obviously not the type to be an early riser, which left only one person to be the culprit.

"Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked, with some worry showing.

"Good morning, Hinata," Itachi greeted.

Hinata stood up, stretching her muscles as she did so. A crow cawed, replacing the traditional morning call of a rooster. The thought of meeting her previous abuser today nerved Hinata. Hinata bit her lip, trying to prevent the memories from flowing back into her.

* * *

><p>"Does something trouble you?" Itachi questioned, noticing Hinata's anxiety.<p>

"A-ano... I-it's just..." Hinata stuttered.

Hinata noticed that the stutter that she got rid of long ago had come back. **The past can't hurt me now. The past can't hurt me now. The past can't hurt me now. **Hinata recited it in her head like a mantra, trying to convince herself that the statement was true. She cleared her throat, once again attempting to talk with Itachi.

"I have to return Hanabi-chan to the man that blinded me today," Hinata explained to Itachi, with confidence forced into her voice to prevent stuttering.

Itachi instantly understood what caused Hinata's sudden lack of confidence. _He _was the root of Hinata's tree of pain. Hiashi Hyuuga. He planted the seeds when Hinata was born, and it produced its first fruit the first time he struck her. Itachi cogitated on the topic, biting into his apple while doing so.

Itachi threw his apple core towards a gathering of three or four crows, which instantly attacked the leftovers. Itachi picked an apple from the tree. He put Hinata's hands in his, placing the red fruit in her palm.

"You're going to need energy for when you put Hiashi back in his place," Itachi told her.

He released his grasp of Hinata's hands once he was sure Hinata could hold the apple by herself. Hinata gave Itachi a reassuring smile, her faith in herself now defined. She always got that peculiar assurance whenever she felt Itachi's touch. It was never quite the same with Hidan, Naruto, or even her own mother. Hinata bit into the apple, savoring the sweet juice of the red fruit.

* * *

><p>"Oh..." Hinata said, realizing something.<p>

"Yes?" Itachi questioned.

"I think Hanabi-chan is dead," Hinata realized, taking another bite of her apple.

Hinata turned her face towards the ground, mourning Hanabi's loss. After all, it _was _suspiciously quiet last night and that morning. Hinata's and Hidan's plans of ransom were ruined with Hanabi's death. It was a good thing that Hinata agreed that she would cash in Hanabi's body for its bounty when her original plans were done with.

"It's a good thing there's a plan B," Hinata said, mostly to herself.

"The Hyuuga heiress is probably not dead. The Hyuuga may simply be asleep," Itachi told Hinata.

"Should we check?" Hinata asked.

"It'd be wise of us to," Itachi replied, already leading Hinata by the wrist to the Akatsuki base.

"What about Hidan-senpai and Konan-chan?" Hinata questioned, knowing her friends were still asleep.

"They can sleep in," Itachi answered.

* * *

><p>The two entered the base, and began searching for Hanabi. Since everyone wasn't awake yet, Hinata couldn't yell out "Marco" so that Hanabi could reply with "Polo". Itachi and Hinata walked through 20 minutes worth of empty hallways, looking for the Hyuuga.<p>

"Where would a Hyuuga go when it's inside of an over-sized base?" Hinata questioned, still eating her apple.

Itachi looked at the apple that Hinata was eating, and a thought came forth to him.

"Has the Hyuuga heiress eaten?" Itachi asked her.

"...Oh... I forgot to feed it, didn't I? Hanabi-chan is definitely dead," Hinata replied.

"Let's check the kitchen, then," she suggested.

* * *

><p>Itachi and Hinata headed towards the kitchen. Much to their convenience, Hanabi was sitting on a chair at the kitchen table, her head faced down. Hanabi noticed the two, and instantly sprang up, wondering where the two were.<p>

"Nee-chan, you're awake," Hanabi noticed.

"And you're alive," Hinata replied.

"What happened? You and your boyfriend were gone all night..." Hanabi asked, jumping to conclusions again.

"He's not my boyfriend. I'm blind and I can't get food by myself. We went to the garden, ate apples, Hidan-senpai and Konan-chan spied on us and eventually came out to talk with us, and we kinda fell asleep in the garden," Hinata explained.

"Are you hungry? Are you hurt? Are you suicidal?" Hinata questioned, worried of Hanabi's health.

"Yes, I'm hungry. No, the plant guy bandaged me. No, I'm not suicidal, why would you even ask me that?" Hanabi replied.

"Plant guy?" Hinata asked.

Hinata didn't know who this "plant guy" was, since she couldn't see. She never judged a book by its cover because she couldn't even see the cover anymore.

"Zetsu," Itachi answered.

"Oh, Zetsu-senpai. So he really did babysit you..." Hinata stated.

"Yeah, he found me wandering around, and bandaged my wounds and stuff. He gave me water and some edible plants," Hanabi described.

"That's good. I was worried that you died of starvation," Hinata said, sighing in relief.

"Well, I'm kinda hungry now. The kitchen has no food at all, you know," Hanabi told Hinata.

"Where'd you get the apple from?" the Hyuuga asked.

"From the garden. You want one?" Hinata offered, taking another bite from her apple.

"Yes," the Hyuuga replied.

Hinata held out her apple in front of Hanabi.

"Here you go," Hinata said to the Hyuuga.

Usually, Hanabi would've denied, disgusted in sharing food with others. At this point, Hanabi didn't care. All that she cared about was that it was an apple, and she was hungry. The Hyuuga merely shrugged, accepted the apple, and began eating from the side that Hinata didn't eat from.

* * *

><p>"Nee-chan, can we go training?" Hanabi requested, taking a bite out of the apple.<p>

Hinata smiled at Hanabi, placing her hand on the Hyuuga's shoulder.

"Forgive me, Hanabi-chan. Again, next time," Hinata told her.

Hinata turned Hanabi around. She gave a simple poke to Hanabi's neck, causing the chakra flow to the optic nerve to flow again. Itachi blinked at the scene, feeling a sense of nostalgia rushing into his mind. **What if there was never a next time?**

"Why not?" Hanabi asked, turning around to face Hinata again.

"Well, I wouldn't want to have the Hyuuga heiress get hurt on the day of the ransom exchange," Hinata answered.

"I don't want to go back, though. I like it better here with you. Hiashi will only be mad at me once I get back to the Hyuuga manor," Hanabi replied.

"You can't live your life with S-rank missing-nin, Hanabi-chan," Hinata told the Hyuuga.

"You get to," Hanabi replied.

Hinata sighed. Hanabi was determined to stay with Hinata, but she couldn't. Hinata thought about the situation. She was about Hanabi's age when she left, and she didn't want to be a hypocrite.

"Don't you have friends that care about you?" Hinata asked.

"They all think I'm some spoiled rich girl who gets everything she wants. They'll think I'm a monster for lying about your disappearance," Hanabi responded.

"_Your _friends noticed I was gone? And mine didn't?" Hinata questioned, surprised.

"Yeah, because you usually came to come get me after I trained with them, but now Neji-kun does that," Hanabi answered.

"...And my friends, the ones who I see every day, the ones who I hung out with, the ones who I trained with, and the ones who I went on missions with; they didn't notice..." Hinata repeated.

"This is why I'm not going to live in Konoha anymore. Like that saying, it's a nice place to visit, but a bad place to stay," Hinata told her.

"So can I stay with you?" Hanabi asked.

"No. What ever happened to the Hanabi-chan that never runs away, and faces the problem head on?" Hinata asked.

"She was beat to death by Hiashi Hyuuga," Hanabi bluntly answered.

"..."

"Maybe you _should_ leave Konoha..." Hinata said, reconsidering her earlier thoughts.

"So I can stay with you?" Hanabi repeated.

"Just hold on tight. Get really strong by next year, and I'll come visit you. If you're strong enough, I'll let you live with a gang of S-rank criminals that want to kill you for money," Hinata told her.

"Okay. I'll get really strong!" Hanabi promised.

Hanabi finished her side of the apple. She turned towards the trash can, aimed, and tossed it. The apple missed its target, so Hanabi picked up the apple, and put it in the trash. It seemed like Hinata's "luck" wasn't genetic.

* * *

><p>The Hyuuga and the ex-Hyuuga talked for a while. They talked mostly about what happened during Hinata's absence. Apparently, it was hell for the both of them. Though Hinata still had a better life than Hanabi when she was gone, since she was free of restrictions and insults from Hiashi. Itachi went to go do the laundry, since he was positive that nobody else would do it.<p>

Unfortunately, Itachi was the only one who did the chores in the Akatsuki base. The Uchiha refused to leave a mess alone, without cleaning it first. Like the mess he created for Sasuke after he murdered his clan. The mess would only grow. Who else would clean it up?

By 10 a.m., Konan had finally woken up. She figured out how she woke up there, and fixed her appearance. Hidan woke up seconds after Konan fixed her appearance.

"Woah, what the fuck happened last night?" Hidan questioned, rubbing his eyes.

He assumed that it must've been some hangover if he woke up outside with Konan, but he didn't even remember drinking. The absence of a growing headache made Hidan's assumption not seem right.

"Well, we fell asleep in the garden when we were laying down on the grass with Hina-chan. She probably woke up before us," Konan explained to Hidan.

"Technically, I fucking slept with you last night," Hidan stated, laughing a bit.

"You also slept with Hina-chan," Konan added.

"Hah! Fucking 3-way... Holy shit, was the Uchiha bastard there, too?" Hidan asked.

"I don't know, I don't remember him falling asleep," Konan replied.

"Which means, you could've slept with Itachi-kun, too," Konan said to Hidan.

"What the fuck? I'd never fucking sleep with that bastard in my entire life!" Hidan responded.

"Hey, that would mean that Itachi-kun slept with Hina-chan last night..." Konan realized.

The two glanced at each other, with a mischievous glint in their eyes. They nodded to each other, smiling at their thoughts. Silently, they agreed on teasing the two "lovers" about it. They groggily walked into the Akatsuki base, yawning. Hidan and Konan walked into the kitchen to gossip about last night. They almost expected Hinata and Itachi to be there, which only made their trouble-making smiles grow wider.

* * *

><p>"G'morning Itachi-kun, Hina-chan, Hyuuga heiress," Konan greeted cheerfully, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.<p>

"Good morning," Hinata responded, as cheerful as Konan.

"Good morning," Hanabi parroted, sounding less cheerful than Hinata, though in a good mood.

"Morning," Itachi replied to Konan, his voice emotionless in contrast to the girls' tones.

Hidan only nodded at Konan, struggling to hold back laughter of his knowledge. Konan nodded back. Nobody else seemed to be aware of the two's communication.

"So, Itachi-kun... Did you have a nice sleep in the garden?" Konan asked, pretending that it was just an innocent question.

"Yes," Itachi answered, becoming wary of Konan's behavior.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow, listening to their conversation intently. She had certain ideas about the definition of sleep in Konan's question. Hanabi knew that she'd only be scolded for her thoughts if she said them aloud.

"Must have been pretty fun 'sleeping' with Hina-chan in the garden, huh?" Konan stated, laughing as soon as the sentence was spoken.

Itachi only mentally sighed as Konan, Hidan, and Hinata began laughing. A part of him knew it was coming. Hanabi covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her blush. She imagined her Nee-chan and the murderer of the Uchiha clan doing the deed together, which caused blood to drip from her nose into her hands.

"Nee-chan, you slept with him?" Hanabi asked, her words muffled by the hands covering her face.

Hinata only nodded, still laughing.

"They did it all fucking night," Hidan truthfully told the Hyuuga.

Hanabi reacted by having more blood seep out of her nose, seeping out of her hands onto the kitchen table. Konan and Hidan only laughed more at Hanabi's reaction. Itachi mentally sighed again. **Though Hinata seems amused with their antics...**

"Technically, it wasn't the entire night. We spent some of the night preparing for it," Hinata denied.

Hanabi was close to fainting from blood loss. The three friends continued laughing.

"Hidan-senpai and Konan-chan were sleeping with us, too," Hinata added.

"You know what they say, the more the merrier," Konan replied.

* * *

><p>The trio laughed until their sides ached, and then laughed some more. Hanabi collapsed onto the kitchen table with a thump, blood spilling infinitely. Sasori walked in, pondering about the reason for the three's laughter.<p>

"What happened?" Sasori inquired.

"The Hyuuga heiress thinks Hinata and I 'did it' last night, and got a nosebleed," Itachi explained, since Konan, Hidan, and Hinata were busy laughing, and Hanabi was busy bleeding.

"You two didn't do it?" Sasori questioned.

"No, Hinata, Konan, Hidan, and I fell asleep under a tree in the garden last night after discussing things," Itachi answered.

"Hn. It would've been the perfect chance," Sasori told the Uchiha.

The two stared at each other, battling with their death glares. Konan, Hidan, and Hinata finally calmed down.

"Oh, good morning, Sasori-senpai," Hinata greeted.

"Good morning," Sasori replied with his usual flat tone, his eyes never leaving the Uchiha's.

Itachi activated his Sharingan, which made Sasori turn his attention away. The Uchiha won the battle thanks to his dojutsu. Itachi's eyes returned to their normal form once Sasori stopped staring at him.

"Hanabi-chan's nose is bleeding?" Hinata asked.

Hinata was paying attention to the conversation that Sasori and Itachi had, but she was too busy laughing to say anything.

"Yes, it appears she has collapsed on the kitchen table," Sasori answered.

"The fucking Hyuuga bitch is bleeding all over the fucking kitchen table. That's so fucking gross," Hidan commented in disgust.

"Like you haven't bled all over the table after one of your rituals?" Konan replied.

"That's fucking different! It's fucking bleeding from its nose, that fucking pervert," Hidan responded.

"Says the same guy who groped me," Hinata retorted.

"Tch, I grope every bitch with a fine body," Hidan replied.

"That doesn't make you seem less of a pervert," Konan told him.

* * *

><p>"Wait, shouldn't we get the Hyuuga off of the kitchen table? The blood might stain," Hinata mentioned.<p>

It was funny how Hinata cared about the table being stained more then the health of her younger sister. Everyone else began to get concerned over the table, too.

"That's fucking gross, I don't want to fucking eat where the fucking Hyuuga has bled all over!" Hidan remarked.

"Kakuzu-kun is going to get angry," Konan said.

"Who the fuck cares about that bastard?" Hidan questioned.

"They only last for so long. Clearly, tables are not art," Sasori remarked.

Itachi sighed mentally, knowing that he'll have to clean up this mess, too.

"I'll clean up the mess, then," Itachi announced.

"Do you need some help, Itachi-sama?" Hinata offered.

"Yes, please get the Hyuuga heiress off of the table," Itachi told her, relieved that he finally had help with cleaning.

"As you wish, Itachi-sama," Hinata responded.

"Thank you," Itachi replied.

"Hm, really obedient. Last night was a golden opportunity," Sasori commented, earning a laugh from Konan and Hidan.

From Itachi, Sasori earned another death glare. He went to get two towels and hydrogen peroxide from the supply closet near the kitchen. Hinata sat Hanabi up in her chair, oblivious to Sasori's comment. She pulled the chair away from the table, the legs squeaking at the friction between the wood and the tiles. Hanabi's nose had already stopped bleeding.

Itachi returned a few minutes later, and set the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and once towel on the kitchen counter. He went over to the sink, turning on the cold water to soak the rag in. Itachi turned off the water. He wrung the rag, excess water dripping into the drain. Itachi absorbed the rag with blood as it wiped the kitchen table, turning the rag a dark crimson. He was careful not to let any blood go over the edge of the table, and to not spread the stain.

"Oh shit, we have to return the fucking Hyuuga bitch to where it came from," Hidan realized.

"Fuck, the bitches in Konoha annoy the shit out of me," Hidan complained.

"Villagers are fucking annoying! It's always fucking 'oh, you're a criminal,' this, or, 'I have to kill you now', that, or, 'you stabbed my friend's lungs out, I'll avenge his or her death'," Hidan complained, mimicking a villager's voice in a ridiculous high pitched voice.

"Seriously?" Konan asked.

"Fucking seriously," Hidan answered.

Once the rag was soaked with the red liquid that Itachi had become accustomed with, he went over to the sink again. He wrung the blood from the rag, soaked the rag, and wrung it once again. He walked to the table, and wiped away any trace of blood that still remained. After that, he got the other towel, and dried the table. Luckily, no further cleaning had to be done. The table looked as good as new, with no evidence of nose blood anywhere.

"Wow, the table is so clean now," Konan noticed.

"Tch, I'm still not gonna fucking eat there," Hidan commented.

* * *

><p>"Itachi would be a really good housewife," Sasori hinted at Hinata.<p>

Itachi ignored this insult, and put away the cleaning supplies.

"Ano, Itachi-sama isn't a girl..." Hinata replied.

"He looks and acts like one. He'd be perfect for someone like you," Sasori told her.

"I can take care of myself, Sasori-senpai," Hinata responded, a bit offended.

"Oh really? You wouldn't be able to survive a day without any kind of help from the people around you," Sasori bet.

"Challenge accepted," Hinata told him.

"Loser gives the winner free dinner," Sasori said.

"No getting led around, no advice, and no help in battle. The bet ends at midnight."

"You're on," Hinata accepted.

"Are you sure, Hina-chan? There's no shame in forfeiting," Konan said.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not gonna run away and I never go back on my word, that is my nindo! My ninja way!" Hinata guaranteed.

The two shook hands to seal their new deal.

"Foolish," Sasori commented.

"Shut the fuck up!" Hidan yelled at Sasori.

"I bet Hinata will totally fucking win this! She fucking survived 4 years in a forest by herself," Hidan bet Konan.

"Sasori-san isn't the type to lose. You're on," Konan accepted.

"Same conditions," Konan said.

"Damn right," Hidan confirmed.

* * *

><p>Hinata remembered that she had to return Hanabi to Konoha today. Hinata began to shake Hanabi to wake her up.<p>

"Hanabi-chan," Hinata called.

"Hanabi-chaaaaan," Hinata repeated.

Hanabi only groaned, and continued to sleep.

"Hanabi-chan!" Hinata shouted in the Hyuuga's ear.

"Ouch!" Hanabi yelled, placing a hand over her ear.

"Come on, Hidan-senpai, Hanabi-chan, we have to go to Konoha today," Hinata reminded the both of them.

Hidan checked the clock in the kitchen. It was only 12:34 p.m.

"We have until fucking sunset to go there," Hidan replied.

"Well, since I can't be led, I have to lead you two there," Hinata responded.

Hidan let out a loud groan at this, knowing that it'll take forever to get to Konoha with Hinata leading.

"Hanabi-chan, pack your things," Hinata ordered.

Hanabi followed Hinata's orders. She used her Byakugan to find her room, and ran to the room. Hanabi knew she didn't have to run, but she knew that the sooner they leave, the faster they'll get there.

"Can she at least get some fucking directions?" Hidan asked.

"No help, no advice, no directions," Sasori answered.

Hidan groaned, knowing that it'll take hours to get to Konoha with Hinata leading.

"Do you know the fucking directions to the bitch-filled Hidden Leaf Village?" Hidan asked Hinata.

"Not exactly, but I'll try my best," Hinata answered.

"Shit..." Hidan cursed.

"And how the fuck will you know if she fucking cheats?" Hidan questioned.

"I'll know," Sasori answered mysteriously.

The Jashinist glared at Sasori.

"Fucking bastard, making me fucking follow a blind girl," Hidan grumbled.

* * *

><p>Hanabi returned to the kitchen some minutes later, suitcase in hand. She didn't seem like she remembered what happened before she fainted. Though if she did, she was trying to forget. Hinata motioned for the two to follow her. Hanabi was reluctant at first, but trusted Hinata, following her without question. Hidan followed the Hyuuga heiress's example, dragging his scythe unenthusiastically against the floor.<p>

"Nee-chan, are you sure you know the way out of here?" Hanabi asked.

"Are you questioning my authority?" Hinata replied.

"Umm, no, I'm just not sure if we're really going the right way," Hanabi told her.

"You're so defiant. You have to learn to trust people, Hanabi-chan," Hinata responded.

Hinata tried to recall the directions she took when Hidan and her left the base to amuse themselves with the slaughter of people. **13, 14, 15 steps, turn left... **So far, Hinata's directions were accurate, much to the three's amazement.

It took more time than usual to find the exit of the Akatsuki base, but they were faster than they expected. Hinata immediately turned right as soon as they exited the base, though she knew that Konoha was just straight ahead. Hinata couldn't let Hanabi memorize the directions to the Akatsuki base. The three followed Hinata's crazy directions, with some complaints from Hidan and Hanabi. Occasionally, Zetsu would use his Mayflower technique to check in on the three, by Sasori's request.

They went in circles several times before finally arriving in Konoha hours later. It was afternoon, and Hinata was positive that Hanabi wouldn't be able to remember those directions. The Akatsuki base was surrounded by a strong barrier put up by the Pein to prevent any Byakugan users to find it. Though if the directions from the Akatsuki base to Konoha were revealed, it would spell great trouble for the Akatsuki members. If Hidan led them, then Hanabi would've been able to memorize the directions and tell the information to the Hokage.

* * *

><p>The three passed through the gates of Konoha easily, which brought up Hinata's suspicions. She knew the guards were more alert now, and they should've reacted. The guards had been informed of Hinata's business in Konoha, and allowed her and her company to pass through. They reported their sightings to the Hokage.<p>

With the directions to the Hyuuga manor recorded in her mind, Hinata was able to remember the rest of Konoha. She followed the map inside of her head, and guiding the two towards Ichiraku Ramen. Many whispered to each other, telling of the rumors they've heard about Hinata.

"Look! It must be Hinata, the Moon-Eyed Goddess," whispered one girl.

"What? How do you know that?" asked her friend.

"She has the cloak and eyes," answered the girl.

"The Moon-Eyed Goddess is blind, how come she's leading the Shinigami and Hyuuga heiress?" questioned the friend.

"She must've memorized the map of Konoha," the girl replied.

"Wow," whispered her friend.

The three continued walking, all aware of the stares they were getting. Hidan glared at a few people that pointed at them.

"What the fuck is with these gossiping bitches?" Hidan asked.

"I'm sure two Akatsuki members with the Hyuuga heiress wouldn't bring anyone's attention, right, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata replied sarcastically, though somehow polite.

"Tch... Those bitches still don't have to FUCKING POINT AT US, THOUGH!" Hidan said, mainly to the crowd that was staring.

Everyone instantly stopped looking at the three, continuing their everyday activities. Some still continued to gossip about the three.

"Wow, the Moon-Eyed Goddess is really pretty," complimented another girl.

"That's why she's called a Goddess... The Shinigami is pretty hot, too," the girl's friend pointed out.

"You think he's single?"

"Hah! You're totally not his type."

"Whatever, at least I don't wear tacky nail polish," the girl retorted.

The two girls began a war of insults, neither willing to back down. Hidan only rolled his eyes, and continued walking.

"Dude, that Goddess chick is freaking hot," one guy mentioned.

"She's probably taken by that Shinigami," replied his friend.

"He must have real fun with her."

"That's why she's called a Goddess," the guy's friend told him.

The two began laughing at the joke, and headed back to wherever they were going in the first place. When Hinata, Hidan, and Hanabi arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, the gossip refused to cease. Nobody dared approach Hidan and Hinata, and nobody even wanted to approach Hanabi. They knew well that anyone in an Akatsuki cloak is deadly. No attention was brought to Hanabi, even though she was the Hyuuga heiress.

* * *

><p>The three took their seats. Ayame noticed the Akatsuki members, and quickly went over to them to not test their patience. <strong>The Moon-Eyed Goddess and the Shinigami... The two of them are certainly attractive, especially together.<strong>

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen. May I take your order?" Ayame asked in her 'customer service' tone, trying to shove away all fear from her voice.

"You don't have to be scared, Ayame-san. We're not scary people, right, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata questioned warmly, recognizing Ayame's fear.

**Oh, Hinata. She used to come here when she was younger. She still remembers me. **Ayame's tension lifted after she recognized Hinata's voice. People listened in on the conversation.

"Well, you're really scary in the morning. Plus, you're both Akatsuki members," Hanabi answered.

"Well, we're not here to eat. We're here to meet a certain Hyuuga to negotiate some matters. We'll eat after the negotiation, though," Hinata told the waitress.

"Okay," Ayame replied, her voice more relaxed.

"You know, there's been a lot of rumors about you," Ayame told her.

"Good or bad?" Hinata asked, a little curious.

"Good. They're calling you a Moon-Eyed Goddess who travels around with a Shinigami," answered Ayame.

"Really? Wow," Hinata responded.

"That explains all the fucking stares we got," Hidan replied.

"And there's also that rumor about you getting banished and blinded by Hiashi," Ayame said.

"Sadly, that one is true," Hinata told her.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Ayame replied.

Hinata only gave a small smile to the waitress.

"You don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Thanks to that day, I found friends that actually care about me," Hinata said to Ayame.

The shop became full with whispers. Hinata, Hidan, and Hanabi were fully aware. Hinata and Hanabi coped with it, while Hidan just got irritated.

"That's so sweet," one whispered to a friend.

"You think the Shinigami is her boyfriend?" murmured one.

"Nah, she wouldn't go for a guy like him," replied another.

Hidan suddenly turned around, and glared at the two talking about him.

"We can fucking hear you!" Hidan told them, his voice annoyed.

"I swear to Jashin-sama, these fucking villagers piss me off," Hidan said to Hinata.

"They'll fucking annoy me to death, and I'm immortal," Hidan stated.

"Yes, I know..." Hinata agreed.

* * *

><p>Everyone continued to whisper about the two Akatsuki members, much to Hidan's annoyance. Hinata began to rethink her earlier statement about Konoha being a nice place to visit, but a bad place to stay. Konoha was now just a plain bad place, period. Kurenai and Kakashi entered Ichiraku Ramen. They were ordered by Tsunade to keep an eye on the Akatsuki members during the ransom exchange.<p>

"It's sad how the Goddess got a horrible childhood while the Hyuuga heiress was spoiled rotten," said one, trying to keep his voice low.

Hanabi sighed at this, and lowered her head onto the wooden counter. Hinata noticed this, and decided to take action. She slammed her hand onto the counter, and stood up, catching everyone's attention. The shop became deathly silent.

"_Hanabi _is not some spoiled rich girl," Hinata said to everyone, her voice now strict and cold.

Hinata put stress on Hanabi's name, as if to let them know that her name was Hanabi and not Hyuuga heiress.

"Her life is just as bad as mine was. Do you know why? It's because she was raised by _Hiashi Hyuuga_. Expected to be the best, pushed beyond your limits, insulted every day, beat half to death daily just for breathing, and never getting any appreciation. You don't even know her name, don't act like you know her life," Hinata explained to the crowd.

"Don't pretend that you're perfect and judge everyone else because they're not. That's why I left this village; because of the insolent, benighted citizens that reside here. Everyone has flaws, but it doesn't mean they're a bad person."

"I have a flaw, too. Sometimes, I get the sudden urge to mercilessly slaughter everyone that I'm not too fond of," Hinata threatened.

Hinata sat down, and regained her poise. After what she said, everyone's tongue became suddenly mute. They carefully considered her words, and decided to stay mute.

"Damn right. Better listen to the bitch, or she'll fuck you up," Hidan warned them.

"Fucking villagers," Hidan muttered.

"Don't even get me started," Hinata replied.

Kurenai and Kakashi were both stunned by Hinata's speech. She didn't stutter once and she had such a straightforward, harsh tone that could rival Hiashi's. Hinata really was a good person if she stood up for Hanabi. However, her threat sounded very menacing.

"Hinata certainly changed over the years, hasn't she?" Kurenai said to Kakashi.

"Yes, yes. Though it's quite hard to tell if it's for the better or worse," Kakashi replied.

* * *

><p>The two jounins leaned against the wall of the small ramen shop. They were confused on whether to let Hinata stay in the Akatsuki or not. Her strength was now unknown, but it must have been great if she was able to join the Akatsuki.<p>

"Aren't you going to say hello to your old student, _Kurenai-sensei_?" Hinata asked, putting a certain kind of politeness into Kurenai's title that sent a chill up her spine.

Hinata's question sounded perfectly innocent, yet so deadly at the same time. She emitted a powerful aura around her, that was also gentle and warm at the same time. It was impressive that she was able to sense Kurenai's chakra signature out of all the people in the ramen shop.

"You've changed so much, Hinata," Kurenai told her, almost sounding concerned.

"Yes, I have, haven't I? I'm not the shy, stuttering little girl that couldn't protect herself, anymore. I don't even have the same sight as before," Hinata replied.

The conversation was casual, yet so formal. A teacher and her old student talking together. No, it was more than that. A ninja and her enemy, a protagonist and an antagonist, a lawyer and a judge. Kurenai studied Hinata intently, trying to read her unreadable face. So much had been revealed about her, yet not enough to know who Hinata really was.

"Our goal here is to negotiate, not fight. Though we could fight after the negotiation, if you want," Hinata offered.

Kurenai remained silent, following everyone else's example. She didn't know what to say, so she listened carefully instead.

"Just like old times, right? A student training with her sensei," Hinata continued.

They both knew it would never be like "the good ol' days". "The good ol' days" weren't even that good.

"Wouldn't that be nice? Returning to the past," Hinata said.

**The past? She must be kidding. She knows her past was painful. Is she taunting me? **Hinata didn't seem like she was trying to taunt Kurenai.

"You could only long for something for so long until that longing becomes an obsession... We can't return to the past. I can't return to my life in Konoha. I'm at the point of no return," Hinata told her sensei.

"Not that I wanted to return," Hinata added.

Kurenai didn't know if she should try to convince her to return or not.

"You have to talk some time, Kurenai-sensei. I feel like I'm talking to myself," Hinata said.

"Tch, I bet it wouldn't be the first fucking time you've done that," Hidan retorted.

"It's not my fault that people can't hear my imaginary friends when I talk to them," Hinata joked, smiling playfully.

Kurenai scrutinized Hinata's smile. It was somehow different from the smiles she gave in the past. It was _real. _Was the Hinata before just an act? Maybe she was just happy. Happy with her _real _friends.

* * *

><p>Kakashi glanced at Kurenai. She was frozen, as if too stunned by Hinata's new self to respond to anything.<p>

"Hinata, we'd like to know what you're planning," Kakashi requested.

"Well, after the negotiation with a certain Hyuuga, I'm planning on ordering a medium, chicken ramen bowl," Hinata answered.

"You know what I mean," Kakashi told Hinata.

"Not really. You have to be more specific. What I'm planning as an Akatsuki member? What I'm planning on doing today? My goal in life?" Hinata questioned.

Hinata's voice was completely honest. Kakashi's question had been too general.

"What you're planning as an Akatsuki member," Kakashi said.

"Well, no plan really. Just make some friends and pass the time," Hinata told him.

Kakashi wasn't getting the information he wanted. He kept his patience, and played along with Hinata's game.

"How about your plans today?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, I wanna get the negotiation over with, get some ramen, maybe train or fight or something, win a bet, and get free dinner," Hinata told him.

"And what is this bet?" Kakashi inquired.

"Well, it all started when Itachi-sama was cleaning a table. A client of mine said that Itachi-sama would make a good housewife, and that he'd be perfect for someone like me. So I say that I can take care of myself, to which he denies. He bet me free dinner that I couldn't survive a day without any kind of help, and I accepted," Hinata explained.

"Itachi? As in Itachi Uchiha?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, Itachi Uchiha," Hinata answered.

"Itachi Uchiha, a housewife?" Kakashi questioned, surprised.

"That Uchiha bastard is always fucking cleaning! It's like his fucking hobby, or something," Hidan answered.

"Interesting... Itachi, murderer of the Uchiha clan, and a housewife," Kakashi mused, smirking under his mask.

Kakashi was beginning to wonder about Sasuke's true side.

* * *

><p>"Yes, though I admit that he seems like he would make a very good husband," Hinata replied.<p>

"So you _do _like him!" Hanabi accused.

Hinata sighed, growing tired of the ongoing accusation towards her relationship with Itachi.

"Why must someone always bring that up?" Hinata questioned.

"Tch, she doesn't fucking like that Uchiha bastard!" Hidan denied.

"She fucking _loves _him! If you know what I mean, right Hyuuga bitch?" Hidan teased.

"Yup," Hanabi confirmed, grinning.

"Everyone is probably just staring at us right now," Hinata predicted.

"No help, remember, Nee-chan?" Hanabi reminded her.

"Yes, I remember... What evidence do you have that supports the fact that I 'love' him?" Hinata asked.

"You're always letting him fucking touch you..." Hidan started.

"I'm blind. I have to be led around. You touch me, too," Hinata said.

The blind girl excuse was working well for Hinata. It was the perfect excuse for everything, really.

"What about that one time when you were in nothing but a fucking towel, and he was there, touching your leg?" Hidan asked.

Kurenai and Kakashi were utterly surprised at this. Kurenai had to restrain herself from dropping her jaw, and Kakashi's jaw was probably dropped underneath his mask. Kurenai was also amazed that Hinata wasn't blushing at this. The whisperings were ignited.

"What? He wasn't touching my leg," Hinata responded.

"I slipped when I got out of the shower, and a vase shattered. The vase cut my leg. He offered to help, and I accepted. Nothing more, nothing less," Hinata explained again.

"So he _was_ touching your leg," Hanabi replied.

"Yes, but not in that way," Hinata said.

"Tch, don't act like you don't fucking like it," Hidan told her.

"You know what? I _did _like it. Because I got something that I never got in Konoha," Hinata replied.

"A good fucking?" Hidan guessed.

"No, I don't believe in sex before marriage. I got _friends that care about me_," Hinata answered.

Kurenai saddened at this. Hinata thought that the friends she had in Konoha didn't really care about her, but they did. Or did they? **Maybe Hinata is right.**

"Friends with 'benefits'?" Hanabi asked.

"...Never mind," Hinata told her, giving up.

* * *

><p>"Anything else you want to know, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked politely, yet somehow mockingly.<p>

"Your goal in life?" the masked man inquired.

"Get strong enough to protect the people I care about, marry a good man, and have children," Hinata answered.

Hinata's plans seemed well-intentioned, though she was hiding something. She was revealing so much, but nothing at the same time. Hinata was like day and night at the same time, a solar eclipse.

"What about your plans tomorrow?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm gonna go shopping with a friend for new clothes," Hinata said.

"Where do you plan on shopping?" Kakashi questioned.

Hidan checked the clock in Ichiraku Ramen. The sun was going to set soon. Clients are supposed to be early for their meetings, though Kakashi was a different story.

"I swear to Jashin-sama, when is that fucking Hyuuga bastard going to come already?" Hidan muttered to himself, his patience tested.

"Hm, I don't know. Not in Konoha, that's for sure," Hinata told Kakashi, ignoring Hidan's complaint.

"Okay. What do you plan on buying?" Kakashi questioned, desperate to get answers from Hinata.

"Something easy to run around in," Hinata answered.

"So you're going to be running around a lot," Kakashi stated.

"Naturally, being a shinobi and all," Hinata said.

Kakashi tried to ask as many questions as possible to find a good answer.

"Do you happen to wish to fight a a specific person?" Kakashi asked.

"Not really," Hinata replied.

"Really? What about Hiashi Hyuuga?" Kakashi questioned.

"Maybe after I finish my ramen," Hinata said.

"Do you have any other plans?" Kakashi asked.

"Nope," Hinata answered, as honest as honesty can get.

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"You really sure?"

"Yup."

"You really, really sure?"

"Yup."

Hidan's eye twitched. This was going to keep on going until Kakashi finally got a good answer, and Hinata was too stubborn. He had no idea how long he could stand it. In fact, Hidan found it worse than Deidara's endless rant about art being a bang.

"You really, really, rea-"

"Just fucking tell him about the fucking plan about the fucking Hyuuga bastards already!" Hidan interrupted, his temper short.

"Oh, _that_ plan. It's not really a plan, it just kinda happened. I'll just let whatever happens, happen," Hinata explained.

"If that's what you wanted to know, you should've been more specific."

**That's all it took to get a real answer? I guess I should be more specific. I'm going to have to work on that. **

"Okay. Does that plan happen to involve Konoha?" Kakashi asked.

"I think it already does," Hinata answered.

"Does the plan involve hurting your former friends?" Kakashi questioned.

"You mean Ino, Sakura, Tenten, Naruto, Shino, Kiba, etc.?" Hinata asked.

"I've never thought of them as my friends, considering the fact that I kinda hate them all..."

"Yes, them," Kakashi said.

"No, the plan doesn't involve hurting them," Hinata told him.

Kurenai and Kakashi became relieved at this. **So Hinata is a good person, after all...**

"Though another plan might," Hinata added.

The jounins' fears came back with Hinata's uncertain promise. So far, all they knew was that Hinata was going to get ramen after the negotiation, she made a bet with a client that she could go a day without any help, she had some kind of romantic-friend connection with Itachi, she found good friends, and that she was going shopping tomorrow. There was nothing that they knew that the Hokage would find very useful. Though she might find it amusing that Itachi is considered a housewife in the Akatsuki...

* * *

><p>"It's our turn to ask the questions now. We told you about everything you asked about, and now you're going to tell us about everything we ask about," Hinata said.<p>

"Anything you want to ask, Hidan-senpai?" Hinata asked her friend.

"Yeah, what the fuck is under your mask, dude?" Hidan asked Kakashi.

Everyone, except Hinata, began to pay close attention.

"Under my mask is..." Kakashi started.

He pulled down his mask, revealing what was underneath it.

"...another mask!" Kakashi answered.

The audience that was watching became disappointed, and Hidan became pissed. He really hates people that wore masks and refused to show their face. Kakuzu was a good example of this.

"What's under that fucking mask, then?" Hidan questioned.

The crowd began to pay close attention again. Kakashi only repeated his earlier action. The crowd was once again disappointed.

"Another mask!" Kakashi revealed.

"We can do this all day, if you want," Kakashi told him.

"Fuck you," Hidan responded.

Kakashi only grinned under his mask, which annoyed Hidan even more.

"Okay, then. Kurenai-sensei, are you dating Asuma-sensei?" Hinata asked her.

Hinata had always been curious about this. They showed all the signs of a couple, after all. Kurenai reacted by blushing, and looking away. Kakashi became amused by this.

"That's a yes," Hanabi told Hinata.

Kurenai stayed silent, and didn't object.

"May I ask a question, Nee-chan?" Hanabi requested.

"Sure, Hanabi-chan," Hinata answered.

* * *

><p>"Okay. Does Hokage-sama want Nee-chan dead?" Hanabi questioned.<p>

"No, she's giving Neji a year to bring back Hinata before she's ordered to order people to kill Hinata for betrayal. Tsunade-sama said that Hinata wasn't a threat, yet," Kurenai answered.

"Why not have my death ordered now? I'm obviously going to become a threat later. I'll just turn out like Sasuke," Hinata replied.

"She said that you weren't like Sasuke," Kurenai told her.

"Hn. So Neji really wants to bring me back?" Hinata asked.

"Yes. He loves you," Kurenai told her.

The room began to tense up as the word "love" was spoken. They were cousins, after all. Plus, it was such a strong word.

"That's fucking disturbing..." Hidan commented.

"I agree," Hinata responded.

Having your cousin madly in love with you was very disturbing.

"Well, how much?" Hinata questioned.

"Enough to make him cry and change into a whole different person," Kurenai said.

"He thinks I'll return to a place where people gossip over the smallest things, where I have no real friends, and where someone of the same blood as me is in love with me?" Hinata questioned, surprised.

"Apparently so," Kakashi answered.

"And he's the Hyuuga prodigy?" Hinata questioned with doubt.

"Yup," Kakashi answered.

"Does there happen to be anyone else that wants my return?" Hinata asked.

"Well, err... Not that I can think of at the moment... Oh, wait, there's Sai," Kakashi told her.

"...Who?" Hinata questioned.

"He's an ANBU that's filling in Sasuke's spot in Team 7. He was willing to help Neji bring you back," Kakashi answered.

**My ex-cousin and a complete stranger are the only ones that want to bring me back. Even Sasuke had more people that wanted to bring him back, and he was a jerk to everyone. Konoha must really hate me. **

"Are they close friends, or something?" Hinata asked.

"Not really. Neji doesn't even know Sai's name," Ayame answered.

"...No comment," Hinata stated.

There was a pause as Hinata tried to think of any more questions.

* * *

><p>"Kurenai-sensei, do you want me to come back to Konoha?" Hinata asked.<p>

Kurenai pondered on the question. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted Hinata back in Konoha so that she could suffer more.

"I only want you to be happy," Kurenai finally answered.

"Am I really happy knowing that I left, and nobody noticed until I became threat?" Hinata rhetorically questioned.

The room contemplated the question for a while. Kurenai felt more guilt piercing through her heart as a million kunai knives would.

"Tch, fuck no. It's fucking obvious, dumbasses," Hidan answered when nobody else did.

"Exactly. It's not a hard question, really," Hinata replied.

"Hanabi-chan, you knew the answer. How come you didn't say anything?" Hinata asked the heiress.

"I thought it was one of those rhetorical questions," Hanabi told her.

"Oh, okay," Hinata responded.

* * *

><p>Hanabi glanced outside at the sky.<p>

"The sun is almost setting," Hanabi stated.

"When is Hiashi going to get here already? Doesn't he care about his own daughter?" Hinata questioned.

"...Don't answer that," Hinata said, realizing that the answer was obvious.

"But still, it's his daughter, the Hyuuga heiress. He should at least try to steal her back, or something," Hinata said.

"He's a fucking Hyuuga," Hidan reminded her.

"That's still messed up," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>Minutes passed with nobody saying a word. Hinata's and Hidan's patience were running low. The Hyuuga manor isn't even that far from Ichiraku Ramen.<p>

"So, anything new happened with you, Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata asked out of boredom.

"Just you... It's been said that 12 jounins that were on a mission to get information from the Akatsuki encountered a 'blind, moon-eyed goddess' and a 'shinigami'. 10 died, and 1 was left unable to move. The other one was stabbed in the ribs by a kunai, but the 'moon-eyed goddess' took out the kunai, and bandaged him, which saved his life," Kurenai answered.

"So that's the reason why they call me the 'Moon-Eyed Goddess'..." Hinata stated in thought.

"The fuck? You were fucking bandaging our enemy while I was fucking killing the rest?" Hidan questioned.

Hinata shrugged.

"I was in a good mood," Hinata answered.

"Wait, they were trying to get information about us?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes, you didn't know?" Kurenai replied.

"Not really. We were just going to fight the first people that Hidan-senpai saw," Hinata told her.

"Why?" the masked man asked the blind girl.

"Because we got bored. We kill for fun, that's what us evil folks do. We spit on puppies and set orphanages on fire," Hinata answered.

"We also blind our daughters and say they're too weak, control our relatives through fear and a cursed seal, and laugh evilly after we do something bad," Hinata added.

"The fuck? We don't do any of that shit. That's what a fucking Hyuuga would do," Hidan told her.

"That's what they think we do," Hinata replied.

Hidan shook his head in disapproval, disappointed in society. In a way, everyone was a villain, and everyone was a hero. The way people look at things makes them think that a certain person falls into one category, when the person belongs in the other one. There was no middle ground.

"Fucking prejudice bitches," Hidan commented.

"Well, we do the evil laugh," Hinata said.

"That's a fucking stereotype," Hidan responded.

Hinata was surprised at this. The villains _always_ have an evil laugh.

"What? We don't do the evil laugh?" Hinata questioned.

"The evil laugh is so fucking three years ago," Hidan informed her.

"I was kinda looking forward to having an evil laugh," Hinata disappointedly stated.

"What about the plot to take over the world?" Hinata asked.

"Ask the fucking Akatsuki leader about that crap," Hidan replied.

* * *

><p>"What's the Akatsuki leader's name?" Kakashi asked, seeing this as an opportunity to finally gather information.<p>

Hidan and Hinata pondered over the question. The Akatsuki's leader name slipped from their tongues at that moment.

"I don't know, but I remember that it was shitty," Hidan answered.

"Itachi-sama told us, but I forgot," Hinata said.

"You don't know your leader's name?" Kakashi asked.

"It started with N," Hinata said.

"Fuck no, I thought it was P," Hidan responded.

"Didn't it start with L?" Hanabi recalled.

"His name isn't Leader Of The Akatsuki. That, I know," Hinata replied.

"Is it Akatsuki Leader, then?" Hanabi asked.

"No."

Hinata considered Hanabi's guess for a few seconds.

"Well, maybe his name is Akatsuki. Like how people name their restaurants after themselves," Hinata responded.

"His name ain't the fucking name of the organization. I'm fucking sure it started with P," Hidan told her.

"Hidan-senpai is probably the most accurate," Hinata stated.

"Damn right I am," Hidan said.

Kakashi sighed. So far, Hinata and Hidan got more information out of them than they got out of them. Hinata was really good at hiding secrets.

"So, are you going to find a replacement for me for Team 8?" Hinata asked.

"We're going to wait until the year goes by until we decide on finding a replacement," Kurenai answered.

* * *

><p>"Okay. Oh, can you tell Shino-kun and Kiba-kun something for me?" Hinata requested.<p>

"Yes," Kurenai answered.

"Well," Hinata started.

Kurenai paid close attention to what Hinata was about to say.

"Tell them I said hi," Hinata told her.

Kurenai's expectations had once again been unfulfilled. She was kinda expecting Hinata to say something really bad-ass, considering the fact that she was in the Akatsuki and presumably held a grudge against Konoha.

"What the fuck? That's fucking it? You fucking left the village after getting blinded by your dad and nobody stopped you or noticed you were gone, and you fucking just want to say hi?" Hidan questioned.

"That's all I really want to say at the moment," Hinata responded.

"You're supposed to fucking say something that keeps them thinking for the rest of their fucking lives," Hidan replied.

"Well, saying hi means that I acknowledge their existence. I acknowledge that they were my former teammates, and I care enough to say hi," Hinata told him.

"You still fucking care about those Leaf bastards?" Hidan asked.

"I never said it was in a positive way. It might just be some kind of warning in disguise. Like 'hello, I know you exist, and I'll make you go through hell for making me suffer so much'," Hinata said.

"Or it could just mean nothing. Maybe I just want to mess with their minds. Maybe I don't care about them at all," Hinata added.

"You're totally just fucking with their minds. I wouldn't give a shit about those bastards if I was you," Hidan responded.

* * *

><p>"I care about you, though, Hidan-senpai," Hinata told him.<p>

"Is that in a fucking positive or negative way?" Hidan questioned.

"Positive. We're friends, through thick and thin. I'll always hesitate before leaving my friends," Hinata assured Hidan.

Hinata didn't hesitate before leaving Konoha. **She thinks she has no friends in Konoha. Is she right?**

"Damn right. Something these fucking Leaf bitches don't know," Hidan replied.

"What about your family?" Hanabi asked.

"I'll never hesitate before leaving my family. Just like how I won't hesitate before exchanging my imouto for money. I'll be there when it matters, though," Hinata told her.

"Well, that makes me feel better," Hanabi sarcastically responded.

"You don't care any more about the Hyuuga clan than I do," Hinata said.

"True," Hanabi said.

"They make it _seem_ like they care about each other. It's just a scheme to protect their precious power," Hinata said.

Hinata recalled the time that she was kidnapped during the invasion of Konoha, and Hiashi saved her. He said that he cared about her and Neji. And she actually _believed_ him. But no, it was just another _lie_. Later that day, Hinata got many new bruises.

"That's the real reason why Hiashi should be coming," Hinata stated.

* * *

><p>A cold rush of air was brought in. If Hanabi was able to make the temperature drop, then Hiashi made the entire room freezing. He entered, followed by two other main Hyuuga branch members, with both holding a dark brown colored suitcase, and Neji. Neji didn't wear the emotionless mask like the other Hyuugas, which greatly differed him from them.<p>

Neji's eyes scanned the room. He spotted the Hyuuga heiress, looking completely unharmed. Hidan was the next person he noticed, presumably the shinigami that people were talking about, with his blood-red triple-bladed scythe. His main focus was Hinata, a.k.a the Moon-Eyed Goddess. She was smiling such a mysterious smile, one that nobody would ever be able to see through. Hinata could've been happy, sad, angry, or planning something bad with that smile.

"Speak of the devil," Hinata stated.

"Seems like the devil is fond of us," Hinata noticed.

The sun had just set. Konoha was shaded in the red of the evening, soon to be colored by blue. All Hinata saw was the black depths of darkness. In a way, everyone in the room saw darkness.

Hiashi smirked at the so-called Moon-Eyed Goddess. What he saw was the trembling little girl that he had power over. He almost chuckled at her getup, thinking that she was only pretending to be a fierce Akatsuki member. He glanced at the Hyuuga heiress, then at the Jashinist. This was all just some sick, twisted game to him. His arrogance assured him that he would win the game.

Hinata turned herself around, so that she was facing the source of coldness. Her fear didn't even exist at the moment. She knew that luck was on her side today, and used that knowledge to her advantage. Hinata sat up, folded her hands in her lap, and placed her feet flat on the ground. Her confidence was alien to Kakashi, Kurenai, Hiashi, Neji, and the two Hyuuga clan members from the main branch.

"So nice of you to drop by. I almost thought you weren't going to come, my dearest _Father_," Hinata greeted formally.

Kurenai tensed up. There it was again, that poisonous politeness. **She's playing with fire.** Neji braced himself for whatever was going to happen. Zetsu secretly peered into the room, watching to see if Hinata would be able to keep her promise even during the ransom exchange with the head of the Hyuuga clan. Everyone listened intently, curious of the Head Hyuuga's reaction.

"I'm _not _your father," Hiashi told Hinata, almost sounding like an order.

"Yes, yes, because you are clearly Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga clan," Hinata stated.

It was unknown if Hinata was being sarcastic or not.

* * *

><p>"You finally came out of hiding. Such a weak idiot, trying to run away from your problems," Hiashi commented with an icy smirk.<p>

Hiashi was so sure that he'd be able to taunt Hinata as he did on the past. He even did it in front of Shino and Kiba once. There was all but an icy silence during that time. Shino and Kiba didn't even try to comfort Hinata afterwards, finding it awkward.

"Fucking bastard, Hinata can fucking rip you to-" Hidan started in response, defending Hinata.

Hidan reminded Hinata that this wasn't the past. She had friends that actually cared, now. Hinata maintained her enigmatic smile, and interrupted Hidan.

"Hidan-senpai, no help. Remember? I'm going to win the bet," Hinata reminded him.

"You're fucking serious about getting that free dinner," Hidan said.

"Hiashi-san, please do not try to stall at this time. We're here strictly for business only, nothing else. Though, I won't hesitate to accept a fight, if that is what you wish for," Hinata calmly told Hiashi.

Neji was clearly amazed that Hinata wasn't afraid to accept a fight from Hiashi. Yes, she had grown stronger, but was she really that strong? He did a more thorough examination of Hanabi. She was fidgeting in her seat, as if scared to go back to Hiashi.

* * *

><p>Hiashi gestured to the main branch Hyuuga on the right of him. The Hyuuga set the suitcase on the counter, next to Hinata, and opened it. The stacks of money were revealed.<p>

"Seems like a million fucking dollars to me," Hidan said.

"Hanabi-chan, you can go back to Hiashi-san now," Hinata told the heiress.

Hanabi gave one final hug to Hinata before returning to Hiashi. Hinata comforted her, knowing that Hanabi would be facing hell soon. Hiashi only let out a cold chuckle at this display of affection.

"Foolish. She's only pretending so that she could use you in the future, and later crush you," Hiashi told Hanabi, his words poisoning her mind.

"The only one that's using me is _you_! Nee-chan didn't kidnap me, I chose to come with her! You're the real blind one," Hanabi accused, defying her father.

Hanabi knew that she would be getting some real hell later. She couldn't just let Hiashi insult Hinata after Hinata stood up for her. Hanabi was trying to pay back the debt that she owed Hinata. Zetsu began to wonder if what Hanabi said was considered help. **Technically, it's just an accusation towards Hiashi. **

Zetsu had been present since the sun set, curious of the results of the ransom exchange. Hinata was the only one who was aware of Zetsu's presence, due to his plant-like chakra signature. She didn't feel the need to tell anyone else of this.**  
><strong>

"Hanabi-chan, it'll be okay," Hinata assured the heiress, showing a much warmer smile to her.

"I apologize for her behavior. Time with the Akatsuki can do bad stuff to your mental health. Please, do not take her words seriously," Hinata told Hiashi, trying to protect Hanabi.

* * *

><p>Hanabi only nodded, and clenched her fists. She began to walk towards Hiashi. Hinata realized that something was wrong.<p>

"Wait," Hinata suddenly said, stopping Hanabi dead in her tracks.

"Neji, could you please use your Byakugan to check if the suitcase of money is real?" Hinata politely requested.

Hiashi gave Neji the if-you-tell-her-that-it's-not-real-I'll-activate-t he-seal look. Neji's emotions for Hinata were too strong for him to pay attention to Hiashi. He activated his Byakugan, and checked the suitcase.

"It's a fake," Neji said, deactivating his Byakugan.

The room gave an exaggerated gasp of surprise. Neji braced himself for the intense pain that was to come to him. Hiashi did a hand seal, expecting Neji to be writhing on the floor in pain in a second. Nothing. At that moment, the seal underneath Neji's forehead protector faded a bit, starting to weaken. He tried another fruitless attempt.

Some kind of force was preventing Hiashi from activating the seal on Neji. Almost as if trying to protect him from Hiashi's wrath for following his heart. He escaped his chosen destiny. Was Hinata somehow the cause of this?

"Such a dirty trick, Hiashi-san. We're supposed to play fair in this game," Hinata told Hiashi.

"All's fair in love and war," Hiashi stated.

"We're not at war, we're at a negotiation. There's a lack of love in this room, save for Neji's strange crush on his cousin," Hinata responded.

All eyes fell on Neji. He felt great humiliation at the moment, but forced himself to not lose his composure and blush. Hidan started laughing, only worsening Neji's humiliation.

"Come on, give him a chance. So what if he's your cousin? Just turn a blind eye to that," one girl suggested.

Hinata threw a table knife near the girl's head, just barely missing her. The table knife purposely hit the wall, with half of the knife's blade plunged into the wood. It was still flaring with Hinata's chakra. The girl realized her mistake, and instantly shut up before she got herself killed.

"Shut up, or I'll kill you," Hinata threatened calmly with a dangerous friendly-looking smile.

The smile only intensified the threat. Everyone got the message, and made sure to not make the same mistake. Hiashi smirked, discovering a way to tick Hinata off.

"Too afraid to threaten to kill me, I_ see_," Hiashi stated maliciously.

"Why would I ever want to do that? You are my _father_, after all. Aren't you glad your _eldest daughter_ finally grew a spine? Aren't you glad that your _eldest daughter_ is finally strong? You've always berated your _daughter_ for that, beating me for hours at a time. Perhaps you live off of others fears and doubts?" Hinata suggested.

"I'm _not_ your father, and you were _never_ my daughter. Shut up, or I'll kill you," Hiashi threatened furiously.

Everyone just stared at Hiashi, giving ease to Neji. Hinata gave her own smirk, satisfied with the knowledge of Hiashi's weak spot. She made a gesture, signaling for the negotiation to continue.

"May we move on?" Hinata recommended.

* * *

><p>Hiashi calmed down, trying to maintain his icy composure. If he lashed out on Hinata now, then it'd surely bring up some bad word of him, and he already had enough of that. No need to worsen it.<p>

The suitcase on the counter disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Hiashi gestured towards the other Hyuuga with the remaining suitcase. He had prepared another suitcase, just in case, except this one was real. The Hyuuga did as the other Hyuuga had done before, showing the money inside.

Hanabi walked towards Hiashi, her luggage in hand. She promised herself that she'd stay strong for Hinata, and she wasn't planning on breaking that promise.

* * *

><p>A bold, or stupid, young man stood up from his seat. He rubbed the back of his neck, and looked down.<p>

"Uhh, so... Hinata... do you, like, need someone to like, walk you out of the village?" the man asked.

Hinata and Hidan laughed at the man, causing the man to turn a cherry-colored red.

"Do you not see the shinigami next to me? I'm sure he's able to walk me out of the village. Though, I'm perfectly capable of making my way out of this village. I have to win a bet, after all," Hinata reminded him.

"Dude, you might as well be saying some fucking shitty pick-up line," Hidan told him, still laughing.

"Hah! Like, 'it's a good thing I have my library card. Why? Because I'm totally checking you out!'" Hinata said, laughing more.

"There's fucking 206 bones in the fucking human body, do you want another one?" Hidan replied.

The young man sat back down, hiding his face in the counter as his friend, the shinigami, and the moon-eyed goddess laughed at him. The Hyuugas left, seeing as their business was done. Only Neji stayed behind, wanting to talk with Hinata.

"You must be a general, because my privates just snapped into attention," Hinata said to Hidan, continuing to laugh.

"Hey bitch, let's play lion-tamer. You get on all fours, and I'll stick my head in your fucking mouth," Hidan responded.

"Or, you're going to have to call the police, because tonight I'm going to be charged for breaking and entering," Hinata said back.

"If you were a booger, I'd pick you first," Kakashi stated, joining in on the fun.

Hidan and Hinata started to laugh more at this, having the time of their lives. They were having fun laughing at the man's scornful excuse for a date.

"Kakashi, that's not what we're here for," Kurenai reminded him.

"I know. Might as well have fun, though," Kakashi replied, smiling underneath his mask.

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Kurenai walked out of Ichiraku Ramen to tell Tsunade the information that they discovered, which was probably not even important. The normal noise of chatter in Ichiraku Ramen returned, with the bold and stupid young man being comforted by his friend. Hidan and Hinata continued to exchange cheesy pick-up lines.<p>

"We should get ramen now," Hinata suggested.

"Damn right. We got fucking one million dollars, and the first thing we shall fucking buy with it is ramen," Hidan declared.

"May I take your order?" Ayame asked, much more relaxed now.

"One medium chicken ramen bowl," Hinata ordered.

"One fucking large pork ramen traditional bowl," Hidan ordered.

"Okay," Ayame said.

Ayame gave Teuchi the orders, and he started to cook them.

"Technically, half of the million dollars is mine, since I came up with the plan," Hinata pointed out.

"Whatever, as long as I get $75 for the fucking hot springs trip," Hidan replied.

"It's still funny that this all started because of a hot springs trip. Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei would've found that information useful," Hinata mused.

"$25 per person per day, we'll be there for three days, and we'll be going there this Friday," Hinata stated out loud, as if purposely leaking the information.

Neji paid close attention to the conversation, now. He wanted to know which hot springs they were going to. This was a golden opportunity, and he didn't want to miss it.

"How the fuck will that be useful?" Hidan questioned.

"They can send an army or something to the hot springs that we go to, and attempt to kill us all. Or they can try to gather information or something," Hinata answered.

"Fucking paparazzi. I bet half of this fucking shop is still fucking watching us," Hidan said.

Neji glanced around Ichiraku Ramen. The Jashinist was correct, as most of the shop was secretly listening to the two.

"I think we've had enough bets for today," Hinata told him.

"I still don't get how that fucking puppet bastard is supposed to tell if you don't screw up your side of the deal or not," Hidan stated.

"Zetsu-senpai has been checking on us. He watched the entire negotiation. In fact, he's still here," Hinata answered.

"What the fuck? Where the fuck is he?" Hidan asked, looking around the shop.

Zetsu travelled back to the Akatsuki base, leaving Hidan and Neji wondering where Zetsu was.

"He left," Hinata said.

"How the fuck do you even tell if a certain person is in the fucking room?" Hidan questioned.

* * *

><p>Ayame gave the two their orders, which Hinata thanked her for. The two got their chopsticks, and began eating, talking in between slurps. Ayame stayed near the two, listening to their conversation along with most of the ramen shop.<p>

"I use my magic blind sensing powers. After you go blind, you automatically get those powers. It takes a long time to train them," Hinata joked.

It wasn't an entire lie. She relied on sensing someone's chakra signature to know if the person was in the room instead of using her sight.

"Holy shit, for reals?" Hidan questioned, actually believing Hinata.

"Yeah. Like how you get the feeling that someone is staring at you without even checking," Hinata explained.

"That's fucking awesome," Hidan said.

"Yeah. I'd prefer the power of sight, though," Hinata admitted.

Neji clenched his fist. He thought that Hinata was happy, but deep inside, she still longed for her sight. It reminded him how much Hiashi had ruined people's lives.

"Ain't nothing pretty to fucking look at. Especially in this shitty village," Hidan told her.

"It's really hard to fight when you're blind, though. I kinda miss the sight of blood," Hinata replied.

Ayame questioned Hinata's longing for the sight of blood. Blood is supposed to be a bad thing. However, you can miss the sight of many things after you go blind; even blood.

"You're fucking pro at fighting, though," Hidan responded.

"No, I have one major weakness," Hinata told him.

"And what the fuck is that?" Hidan questioned.

"Well, if someone started throwing kunai knives at me, I don't really know if I'll be able to dodge it," Hinata admitted.

Everyone made a quick note of that. The Moon-Eyed Goddess's weakness is having weapons thrown at her.

"I fucking totally got your back," Hidan assured her.

"I'm completely vulnerable right now because of that bet, though," Hinata said.

"Damn, you're fucking serious about getting that free dinner," Hidan stated.

To test out the theory, someone got a table knife, and threw it towards Hinata's back. Hinata quickly turned around and caught it, as if by instinct. Everyone was clearly shocked at this, having thought that that was Hinata's weakness.

"The people in Konoha really are backstabbers," Hinata stated.

"How'd you do that?" the person that threw the knife asked.

"I kinda expected it, actually. I felt your presence behind me, and knew that something was up. Ninja instincts, they call it," Hinata answered.

"It's not really polite to throw knives at strangers," Hinata told the person.

"You're in the Akatsuki, though," the person argued.

"Which is why I question your actions," Hinata replied.

"I'm sorry, please don't kill me!" the person begged.

"I can't kill you. I'm busy eating ramen at the moment," Hinata told the person, turning around to finish her ramen.

"So reckless. The strength wasn't even nearly enough to have blood stain the floor. It would've hurt if it hit, but it wouldn't even cut me, let alone kill me," Hinata said.

"Fucking dumbasses. They're fucking suicidal," Hidan said to Hinata.

"Well, the only thing to look forward to in life is death," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>The Hyuuga prodigy became saddened at this statement. <strong>Hinata, you're still suicidal. <strong>His resolve to try to help Hinata became stronger. Hidan and Hinata finished their ramen and paid. The two stood up, and were about to leave.

"Something you wanted to talk about, Neji?" Hinata asked.

Neji remained silent, pondering over what he wanted to ask her. He had so many questions, but he had no idea which one to ask. Hinata and Hidan waited for his reply.

"Come on, we ain't got all fucking day," Hidan told him.

"Anything you want to say? I'll answer any question you have for me," Hinata said to Neji.

"I want a re-match," Neji finally answered.

"What the fuck?" Hidan questioned.

"Sure. You can keep challenging me until you think you've won. I'll humor you," Hinata accepted.

"Ain't fucking fair, I say," Hidan commented.

"I won't use my Byakugan, then," Neji responded.

"Dumbass, you're going to need your fucking Byakugan. Hinata is the one with the fucking advantage," Hidan replied.

"How?" Neji questioned.

Hinata gave Neji that mystifying smile. A chill ran up his spine, but Neji instantly regained his poise.

"I know a secret," Hinata answered.

That little secret was esoteric, which only confused Neji even more. How would a blind girl have an advantage against a Byakugan user? Was it because it was nighttime? No, Neji could see in the dark with the Byakugan.

"I'd be fucking pissed if I were in that Hyuuga bastard's place," Hidan replied.

"Yeah, but it's his challenge. Where do you want our fight to take place, Neji?" Hinata asked.

"The training grounds near the river," Neji decided.

"You can bring a friend to help you, if you want," Hinata suggested.

"If I find someone that's willing to help," Neji replied.

* * *

><p>Hinata, Hidan, and Neji left Ichiraku Ramen so that Neji could have his fight with Hinata. Hinata led the two towards the training grounds. This made Neji wonder if Hinata was really blind or not. Hinata stopped in the middle of the training grounds. Hidan went to sit in the sidelines, looking forward to watching Hinata kick Neji's ass. Neji activated his Byakugan, preparing himself to attack.<p>

"Do you want the first move, or should I start us off?" Hinata asked.

Neji reacted by charging at Hinata, instantly barraging her with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Hinata responded quickly, blocking his strikes by using her own Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. 32 of Neji's tenketsu were closed before Neji finally broke away from Hinata.

The battle became a blur of chakra-infused kicks and strikes. Not one strike hit Hinata, and it seemed like she wasn't even using half her strength. Neji attempted Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher, but Hinata grabbed Neji's arm, holding it behind his back. Neji used Gentle Fist Art One Body Blow to tackle Hinata, freeing himself from her grip. The attack was weaker than usual, since 32 of Neji's tenketsu were closed.

"Hinata, you don't have to stay in the Akatsuki. You don't belong there, you belong here," Neji urged Hinata.

Hinata slid a few feet backwards, her feet digging a rut into the ground. She formed chakra needles, and spun around while throwing them. Hidan was almost hit by a chakra needle, and used his scythe to shield himself.

"Holy shit!" Hidan yelled as chakra needles were about to hit him.

Five needles hit five of Neji's tenketsu, closing them off. His clothes became stained with blood after the needles hit him.

"Don't you get it? Nobody wants me back. Nobody is going to help you. Stop holding back. Fight like you want to kill me," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm not holding back, I'm fighting with all my strength... <strong>Tenten and Rock Lee approached the training grounds that Neji and Hinata were at. They were going to have their nightly training session, but were stopped when they saw that Neji and Hinata were in the middle of a fight. Neji rushed towards Hinata, attacking her with Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. Hinata threw a wave at chakra needles at Neji, stopping his attack. The needles hit 13 more tenketsu.

"I don't want to kill you. I _love_ you," Neji told her.

Neji could have sworn that he saw a glint of red in Hinata's eyes. He blinked, and her eyes looked the same as before. Tenten clenched her fist, while Rock Lee watched the battle in awe. It became harder for Neji to move, now. He summoned all the strength and willpower so he could attempt another strike at Hinata, which was easily dodged.

"You _don't _love me. You _pity _me. Your guilt built up in the form of this thing you call 'love', and you think that you can make everything better again just by saying 'sorry'. 'Sorry' isn't going to cut it this time. I'm not some princess in a tower, I'm the dragon that wants to destroy the hero. Mr. Hero is supposed to slay the dragon," Hinata told Neji.

Hinata hurled more chakra needles at Neji, which cut off 14 more of Neji's tenketsu. Neji fell onto his hands and knees, with 64 of his tenketsu closed. Hidan smirked as Tenten and Rock Lee ran towards Neji's side. Neji tried to stand up, but collapsed on the ground.

* * *

><p>"Neji!" Tenten called in worry.<p>

Tenten kneeled and turned Neji over, so that he was on his back. Neji responded to her by coughing. Tenten stood up, and got out her scroll of weapons.

"You're a monster. They call you a Goddess, but you're nothing a demon. I'll make you pay!" Tenten promised.

"Tenten..." Rock Lee whispered, surprised at the hatred she was showing.

"Oh, really? Save your princess, then. Slay the dragon," Hinata challenged.

* * *

><p>Rock Lee dragged Neji near the river, not wanting to get in Tenten's way. Tenten threw her scroll in the air, and weapons rained down on Hinata with a white streak. When Hinata heard the flapping of Tenten's scroll, she used Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms to protect herself, proving Tenten's actions futile. The weapons merely bounced off of Hinata's barrier. Hinata picked up a sword that pierced the ground.<p>

"En garde," Hinata said, holding the sword directly in front of her.

Tenten summoned shuriken from another scroll, and hurled them at Hinata. Hinata spun the sword around her hand, deflecting the shuriken. Tenten picked up a kunai that was on the ground, and charged at Hinata. She purposely let Tenten hold the kunai knife to her neck.

"Well? Aren't you going to slay the dragon?" Hinata questioned.

"Tenten... Please," Neji pleaded.

Neji began to cough again. Rock Lee urged him not to move.

"Don't kill her," Neji begged.

"Kill me, Tenten. You have to, it's the law. It's not like you want me alive, anyway," Hinata tempted Tenten.

Tenten became confused at this. It shouldn't have been like this; it should've been the other way around. She wanted to kill Hinata, but Neji was begging her not to. Neji might never speak to Tenten again if she killed Hinata.

Hidan became concerned at this. He couldn't let Hinata die. She had so much to live for, so much to accomplish. It'd be all his fault if he let her die. He stood up, and swung his scythe at Tenten using the long cable attached to it.

Hinata's eyes turned a deep shade of red for a few seconds. Hinata turned towards the direction of the scythe, and quickly pushed Tenten out of the way just in time, which probably saved Tenten's life.

"Are you okay, Tenten-chan?" Hinata asked, showing genuine concern for her.

Tenten was perplexed at Hinata's actions. **Why did she save me? I was about to kill her. She should've let me die. No, the real question is how she saved me. She couldn't have seen that coming.**

* * *

><p>"Fucking suicidal bitch! I ain't gonna let you fucking die!" Hidan told Hinata.<p>

"Hidan-senpai, this is _my_ fight. I have to do this by myself," Hinata replied.

"Fuck that! Friends don't fucking let their friends suffer alone! I don't give a shit about how your previous 'friends' treated you, I'll never let my fucking comrades die!" Hidan promised.

Rock Lee and Neji were moved by Hidan's promise. He was supposed to be the bad guy, he wasn't supposed to have morals. Bad guys aren't supposed to have friends. Right?

"Arigato, Hidan-senpai, but I can win this fight by myself," Hinata responded.

Hinata pushed Tenten to the ground, and pinned her sleeve to the ground using the sword. Tenten wasn't expecting this, especially after Hinata saved her life.

"Let's leave, now. I'm pretty tired," Hinata concluded.

"What the fuck? I fucking save your life, and you just end the fucking battle three seconds later?" Hidan questioned.

"She wasn't going to kill me, Hidan-senpai. The people here are never serious about their promises," Hinata answered.

"'There's nothing you can do.' Lies. 'Everything will be alright.' Lies. 'This is your destiny, you can never change it.' Lies. 'I'll bring you back.' Lies. 'I'll make you pay.' Lies. 'I love you.' Lies," Hinata said.

Neji bit his lip. Everything he said to Hinata didn't even matter to her. It was all just some big lie to her. He couldn't help but feel that Hinata was right.

"Yeah, we fucking get it. Let's just get the fuck out of here," Hidan said, rolling his eyes.

"Hah! And she didn't even use the fucking advantage. Fucking pathetic bitches," Hidan pointed out.

* * *

><p>Hidan and Hinata left the scene. Lee let them leave because he had to help Tenten and Neji. Tenten finally removed the sword from her sleeve, and was about to go after the two Akatsuki members.<p>

"Let them go, Tenten. We have to get Neji to a hospital," Lee told her.

Tenten looked at Neji. His clothes were dirty, bloody, and torn. She was angry at what Hinata did to him, but she knew that Hinata could've done worse. Hinata could've killed him. She could've killed all of them, but she didn't. **Why?**

"Neji, do you still love Hinata?" Tenten asked.

"Yes..." Neji answered without hesitation.

"Neji, I urge you to not go after Hinata anymore. She is dangerous," Rock Lee implored.

"I can't let her go," Neji replied.

**I'll never let her go.**

"Why do you love someone that doesn't love you back? You'll only get hurt in the end," Tenten told Neji.

"I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. I'll bring her back, even if it kills me. I'll protect her, even if she tries to kill me. I'll keep loving her, even if she doesn't love me back. I'll show her the truth in this world of lies," Neji promised.

Lee sighed, and helped Neji up. He put Neji's arm over his shoulder, and started to walk to the Konoha Hospital with Neji. Tenten followed behind closely, contemplating Neji's promise. The seed of envy inside of her grew into a plant of deep hatred.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in Tsunade's office, Tsunade was drinking like there was no tomorrow. She couldn't believe what Kakashi and Kurenai told her. The information that they gathered was completely <em>useless. <em>Hinata's and Hidan's ransom exchange was a _success. _

"Tsunade-sama, you need to stop drinking and get your paperwork done," Shizune reminded the Hokage.

"Ugh... Why is this happening to me?" Tsunade questioned.

"Well, they must've found at least one piece of useful information," Shizune said.

"They told me that Hinata plans included ramen, shopping, and running around, she found good friends, Itachi was considered a housewife in the Akatsuki, and that Hinata had some kind of more-than-friends relationship with Itachi Uchiha," Tsunade told her assistant.

"Wow. Who knew that Hinata was into the bad boys..." Shizune mused.

"What about the mission with the 12 jounins?" Shizune inquired.

"They said that they didn't even know they were on a mission to retrieve information on the Akatsuki," Tsunade answered.

"What happened during the ransom exchange?" Shizune questioned.

"Hinata was completely confident, even daring to call Hiashi her 'dearest Father'. Hiashi told the Hyuuga heiress that Hinata was trying to use her, but the Hyuuga heiress defied him. Hiashi tried to trick Hinata with a fake suitcase, but Hinata asked Neji to use his Byakugan to check if it was real. Neji told her it was a fake, and Hiashi gave her the real suitcase. Hiashi tried to activate the Hyuuga's main branch seal on Neji, but nothing happened," Tsunade described.

"The seal didn't work?" Shizune questioned.

"That's what I was thinking," Tsunade replied.

"The Hyuuga clan's juinjutsu is supposed to work 100% of the time, to the fullest, and be completely irreversible. Once you got it, nothing could make it go away. Even I wasn't able to find a way to remove the seal," Tsunade explained.

"Do you think it was Hinata?" Shizune asked.

"I don't know how she could've had anything to do with the seal," Tsunade replied.

Tsunade sighed, and let her head hit her desk. The alcohol numbed out the pain, but she knew she was going to have a killer headache in the morning. The Hokage just wanted to forget about everything, and let someone else take care of it. She couldn't do that, though. She's the Hokage; she was the "someone else" that people handed their responsibilities over to.

* * *

><p>By the time Hidan and Hinata finally arrived at the Akatsuki base, it was really late. Everyone in the Akatsuki base was either asleep or pretending to be asleep. All of Hidan's abundant stamina was completely depleted from being led from Konoha to the Akatsuki base by a blind girl. He collapsed on the floor from exhaustion, giving in to sleep.<p>

"Fuck beds, I'm sleeping on the floor," Hidan mumbled, before his mind entered the realms of his twisted dreams.

Hinata nodded, and began to wander around the Akatsuki base, using the walls for guidance. She was just sleepwalking now, barely focused on making it to her room. **That fight... I actually saw it for a few seconds. No, that was just my imagination. I'm going crazy. **

Hinata was unaware that she was making familiar twists and turns towards her room. Her feet were moving almost automatically. **Hidan-senpai's scythe is red? No, I was just imagining that. I'll ask him tomorrow to prove it. **

Hinata's hands felt around for a doorknob, and pivoted her arm so that the door opened. She had no idea what she was doing, and just wanted to get in bed so she could sleep. Hinata slowly walked into the room, and dropped into the bed. She didn't even realize that she wasn't the only one that was trying to sleep in the bed.

Itachi immediately woke up as soon as he felt the bed droop a little. He got out of bed, and lit a candle using fire jutsu. His and Hinata's rooms were in the part of the Akatsuki base that weren't illuminated by light bulbs, since Kakuzu was too cheap to light the entire base with electricity. A mere candle is what filled the corridors that resided in that part of the base at night. During the day, the candle was replaced by rays of sunshine.

Itachi chose to have his room in this darkness. He embraced the darkness, thinking it was better to live in it than in artificial light. Nobody dared to enter "Itachi's side of the base" even in the daylight. Hidan and Hinata were exceptions. Hidan was simply too ignorant to care, while Hinata had actual rights to enter "Itachi's side of the base".

It was because that it was "Itachi's side of the base" that Hinata's room was positioned where it was. Hinata didn't need any light because she was blind, and Itachi was her guardian. "Itachi's side of the base" was the only side that had windows. It was the only place that needed windows. Symbolic? As Sasori would say, "It's possible".

Once the candle was lit, Itachi saw that it was Hinata that had crawled into his bed. He couldn't help but think that Sasori would say that it was bound to happen, sooner or later. She was completely knocked out. **She must've just gotten back from the ransom exchange. Quite amazing that she was able to make it here by herself. She was only one door away from her room. **Itachi had been informed of the bet that Hinata made with Sasori by Konan. He was inwardly relieved that Hinata didn't agree that he was a girl.

Itachi pondered over his options. He could either wake her up, carry her to her room, or ignore it and continue sleeping in the bed with her. The first option would be rude, and might not work, while the second option would make Hinata lose her bet. Though if he ignored the conditions, and continued sleeping, there would surely be some misunderstandings from the other Akatsuki members. Hidan would burst into Hinata's room, not see her there, and burst into Itachi's room next. The gossip in the Akatsuki base spreads twice as fast as the gossip in Konoha, which is already at the speed of light.

Originally, Itachi's door had a lock that worked. Until Hidan decided to knock down that door. Doors never had a long lifespan in the Akatsuki base. The door was replaced, but the new door didn't feature a doorknob with a lock. Even if there were a lock, Hidan would just knock the door off its hinges, as he had done in the past.

* * *

><p>A headache began to make Itachi's head throb with discomfort. He blew out the flame of the candle, and went back to sleep. Itachi decided to deal with the problem tomorrow. The bed was fairly big, originally intended for couples, so Hinata did not take up much space on the bed. Itachi laid down on the bed, and turned so that his back was facing Hinata.<p>

Itachi appreciated the extra warmth given to him by Hinata's presence. Her aroma consisted of sweet lavenders. **Lavender. A symbol of devotion. **Once during the night, Hinata subconsciously put her arm around Itachi's chest, and pulled herself closer to him.

* * *

><p>"Don't... Don't let me go..." Hinata whimpered in her sleep.<p>

Itachi didn't move an inch. **Who? Who don't you want to let you go? **Itachi listened to Hinata to get more hints on who Hinata was talking about.

"I'm... just a burden..." the dreaming girl mumbled.

**What? **She contradicted herself. Itachi was in wonder of what Hinata's dream was.

"Kill me already," Hinata pleaded.

"Red... Red scythe," she described.

**Is she talking about Hidan's scythe? How did she know it's red? **Hinata started to sweat and her breathing became irregular.

"Don't leave me... The darkness is lonely," Hinata begged.

"Don't come near me," Hinata said, suddenly changing her mind.

"No... No... I'm sorry..." Hinata apologized.

"Make the pain go away... Itachi-sama..." Hinata requested.

"Neji-nii-san... please... Hidan-senpai... Naruto-kun..." Hinata started to mumble.

**Who? Who is the dream about?**

"Let me see again... Let me see the blood..." Hinata implored.

**Why do you want to see blood?**

"I love you..." Hinata whispered.

**Who do you love? Neji? Hidan? Naruto? **_**Me?**_ Hinata pulled herself even closer to Itachi, despite her sweating. Itachi turned around, and glanced at Hinata's petite figure in the dark. He gently grasped Hinata's trembling hand, letting his warmth transfer to Hinata's cold hand. Her breathing started to become steady once she felt Itachi's warmth.

"Itachi-sama..." Hinata muttered, recognizing the touch.

A feeling of relief came to Itachi as Hinata calmed down. He finally fell asleep once he was certain that Hinata would be fine.

* * *

><p>Hidan was the first one in the Akatsuki base to awaken, his back aching from sleeping on the floor. He went to his room, and threw the suitcase of money on his bed. Hidan yawned and rubbed his eyes, using his scythe to prop himself up. He stood up, cracked his knuckles, and decided to burst into Hinata's room. He walked over to "Itachi's side of the base", and slammed open Hinata's door with ease.<p>

**The fuck? **Hinata's room was devoid of people. Hidan smirked to himself, and decided to try Itachi's room, now having an excuse to do so. This time, he decided to be quiet when entering Itachi's room. He slowly turned the doorknob, trying to make as least noise as possible.

* * *

><p>The moment Hidan opened Itachi's door, he put his hand over his mouth to prevent shouting "What the fuuuuuuuuuck?" again. He just stared at the two for a while, too stunned to move. <strong>Holy shit! That bitch has a lot of stamina... <strong>He ran to Konan's room, bursting through the door and jumping on her bed to catch her attention.

"What the hell do you want?" Konan groggily questioned, sitting up.

Hidan didn't say a word. Once Konan woke up, he jumped off of her bed, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to Itachi's room. He gestured towards the bed, which widened Konan's eyes. **Oh my God! Hina-chan and Itachi-kun had sex! **The two stared at each other, and thought one thing: Deidara's room. The two ran there, bursting into his room.

Hidan and Konan ripped the blanket off of Deidara, and pushed him off of his bed. Deidara woke up, wondering what Hidan and Konan woke him up for.

"What happened, un?" Deidara questioned, knowing that it must be really important if Hidan and Konan had to push him off of his bed.

Hidan and Konan each took one of Deidara's arm, and dragged him to Itachi's room. His mouth, no, _mouths_ dropped once he saw Itachi and Hinata in the same bed, together. **Crap, he really does want to restore the Uchiha clan. **The three glanced at each other and knew what to do: get to Kisame's room.

The three rushed to Kisame's room, and Hidan slapped him. Kisame woke up with a thirst for blood.

"What the hell, Hidan?" Kisame angrily questioned.

The three pushed Kisame towards Itachi's room, much to Kisame's confusion. The three gestured towards Itachi and Hinata. Everything made sense once he saw what the three were fussing over. They didn't even have to look each other, because they all knew where they were going next: Sasori's room.

Sasori was already awake, his reading glasses on, and a book in his hands. When Kisame, Hidan, Konan, and Deidara burst into his room, he let out an exasperated sigh. He used a pair of scissors to hold his place in the book, since it was the first thing he could find.

"What do you four want?" Sasori questioned, irritated that they interrupted him while he was reading.

The four led Sasori to Itachi's room to show him. Sasori retained his bored expression when he discovered what the four Akatsuki members were so excited about. **Almost predictable. **Sasori left the four in Itachi's room, and returned with a camera, Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Pein. Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Pein were amused by what they saw. The flash of Sasori's camera is what finally woke Itachi and Hinata up.

* * *

><p>Itachi was annoyed when he saw that the entire Akatsuki had gathered in his room. Hinata only yawned, not realizing what was going on. The smell of cinnamon greeted her as she realized that Itachi was near.<p>

"Good morning," Hinata greeted them all.

"May I ask why the entire Akatsuki has gathered in my room?" Itachi questioned, the emotionless tone piercing through ears.

"May I ask why Hinata was sleeping in your bed?" Pein replied.

"That should be my line," Itachi stated.

"We all knew it was going to happen, sooner or later," Sasori remarked.

Itachi knew Sasori well, as he had been predicting his remark the night before. Itachi pretended to be unaware that Hinata was sleeping with him. Hinata was now fully awake and understood what was happening.

"Hidan-senpai and I got back from the ransom exchange later than we thought we would, and we were both exhausted by the time we got here. I was half-asleep, and I must've entered Itachi-sama's room by mistake," Hinata explained.

"You just _happened_ to crawl into _Itachi's_ bed by _mistake_?" Kakuzu insinuated.

"Well, their rooms _are _right next to each other's," Konan said.

"Itachi must've known that Hinata was in the same bed as he. After all, he allowed her to cuddle up to him," Sasori brought up.

Hinata's face turned that familiar shade of pink again in embarrassment. She hoped that they didn't hear her sleep-talk. Ever since she was a child, Hinata had always sleep-talked when she had a bad dream. The nightmares became more frequent after her mother died.

"It was all an accident, nothing more. Now, I'd like you all to please exit my room," Itachi requested.

* * *

><p>"I have a question. Hidan-senpai, do you own a red scythe with three blades?" Hinata questioned.<p>

Itachi recalled last night. **So she **_**was**_** talking about Hidan's scythe. How did she know it's red?**

"Yeah, but how the fuck would you know that it's red with three blades?" Hidan replied.

Hinata bit her lip. She had no idea how she knew. All she knew was that she wanted to be able to see again, now more than ever. Hinata thought she had learned to cope with being blind, but she was just fooling herself. Her childish fear of the dark had returned.

"Probably a lucky guess, un," Deidara assumed.

"The scythe could have been black with one blade, though," Konan responded.

"Sometimes I get the notion that Hinata isn't really blind," Pein stated.

"No, she's blind. Otherwise she would've fallen for Itachi's Tsukuyomi, before," Kisame assured them all.

"Get out of my room," Itachi repeated.

* * *

><p>Everyone, except Hinata and Itachi, began to clear out of Itachi's room. Hinata and Itachi were the only ones remaining in Itachi's room after everyone else left, which earned a few jokes. Hidan noticed that Hinata hadn't left, and stayed behind to listen to what Hinata and Itachi would talk about. He pressed his ear to the door, interested in whatever Hinata and Itachi would be talking about.<p>

"That means you, too, Hinata," Itachi told Hinata.

Hinata was lost in her thoughts when Itachi interrupted her.

"Eh? Oh, sorry," Hinata apologized.

"Is something bothering you?" Itachi questioned.

Itachi knew that something was bothering her. She didn't usually space out, and her dream last night must've been the thing bothering her.

"A-ano..." Hinata stuttered, unable to find confidence.

Hidan was shocked that Hinata stuttered. She was so confident last night, where did that confidence go?

"Is it Hiashi?" Itachi questioned.

The last time that Hinata stuttered was because of Hiashi. Itachi assumed that Hiashi had said something during the ransom exchange that bothered her.

"N-no... I-it's nothing," Hinata answered.

Her voice was as quiet as a mouse, though her words were somehow heard. Hidan found it harder to spy on the two's conversation when Hinata's voice was so small.

"You can tell me anything, Hinata," Itachi replied.

* * *

><p>Hinata sighed. She couldn't lie about the feelings that were inside of her. She trusted Itachi with her life.<p>

"It's so lonely in the darkness..." Hinata finally told him.

Itachi recounted those words from last night, when she was sleep-talking. **She said the same thing in her sleep. **It surprised Hidan that Hinata still hadn't gotten over being blind, as she always hid her emotions so well. In fact, she hid them just as well as Itachi.

"The pain hurts twice as much. It never goes away," Hinata described.

Hinata covered her face with her hands, and let her tears finally come out. She tried her best to hide her shame, to hide the hurt inside her heart. Hinata had thought that the melancholy had gone away, but it was only lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce. Hidan was just stupefied at Hinata. Her true colors showed only when she was alone with Itachi.

"It'll never go away... It always comes back... It's always there..." Hinata convinced herself.

"It hurts so much..." Hinata whimpered.

Itachi gently took Hinata's hands away from her face, placing a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. Itachi stared into Hinata's unseeing eyes, which were clouded with pain. He knew that everything _wasn't_ going to be okay, and that Hinata _couldn't_ stop crying, but he also knew that the pain _could_ go away.

"To get rid of the darkness, you need light. To make the pain go away, you need happiness. It's not forlorn hope if you believe in it," Itachi told Hinata.

His voice sounded the same, but it seemed somehow more caring. If Hinata wasn't blind, she would've seen the tenderness in Itachi's dark eyes at that moment. Hidan became stupefied at Itachi, too. They were so different when they were together.

"I can't find the light, it's gone. It never existed," Hinata responded, turning away.

"_Make_ it exist. Light the candle that will darkness fade away," Itachi replied.

Hinata turned back to Itachi. Her sobs started to calm down. **You're my light, Itachi-sama. The pain always goes away when I'm with you. You're the truth in this world of lies. **Hidan was happy that Itachi was able to comfort Hinata. He didn't know if he would've been able to comfort her, and Hidan didn't want to know what would happen if nobody helped Hinata with her emotional dilemmas.

* * *

><p>Itachi and Hinata stayed like that for a while, their fingers interlocked. Hinata shyly got closer to Itachi, letting the comfort flow into her. He was the exact opposite of the pain she felt in her heart every time she wakes up and sees darkness. <strong>I'll do anything to be next to you. Anything.<strong>

"Itachi-sama... Can you teach me genjutsu?" Hinata requested.

"Of course," Itachi responded.

"Weren't you going to go shopping with Konan today?" Itachi questioned.

"We can go shopping later," Hinata answered.

When Hidan heard the sound of Itachi and Hinata getting out of bed, he ran, in hopes of not being found out about his spying. He didn't plan on telling anyone about what he heard.

"How come you let Hidan-senpai listen to our conversation?" Hinata asked.

Itachi shrugged.

"Might as well let him know that our relationship isn't sexual," Itachi replied.

"Of course it's platonic. I don't know what goes through their heads," Hinata responded.

* * *

><p>Hanabi walked into a dark room, only barely lit by a light fixture that hung from the ceiling. She shivered, knowing that the Interrogation Room was also known as the Torture Room. Sometimes it was even known as the Torturous Interrogation Room. <strong>I really hope I'm in the Interrogation Room right now. <strong>

"Have a seat, Hyuuga heiress," Ibiki told her.

Hanabi hated being referred to as the Hyuuga heiress. She knew she was more than just the head of the Hyuuga clan's daughter. If it was someone her age that referred to her as "Hyuuga heiress", she would've lost her temper and yelled to not call her that. However, she knew how to keep her temper around her elders.

**He's the top ANBU interrogator. **Hanabi sat down. She tried to follow Hinata's example at Ichiraku Ramen, sitting up with her back straight, hands folded in her lap, and feet flat on the floor. Hanabi wanted to get the same results as Hinata did; getting more information out of the questioner than the questioner got out of her.

"You got to see some of the Akatsuki members' faces besides Hidan's and Hinata's, didn't you?" Ibiki questioned.

"No, sir, I didn't. I was kept in a dark room with one window," the Hyuuga heiress honestly answered.

"Why didn't you just use your Byakugan, or escape through the window?" the interrogator asked.

"I couldn't use my Byakugan. I didn't want to escape. I was happier being kidnapped than living in the prison called the Hyuuga manor," Hanabi answered.

Ibiki paced back and forth, thinking about the Hyuuga heiress' words. **Is Hiashi really that bad of a father?**

"Why couldn't you use your Byakugan?" Ibiki asked.

"I didn't want to be accused of peeking into people's showers," Hanabi told him.

Any other person would've found this humorous. Ibiki's humor left him a long time ago. He remained dead serious, and focused on getting information.

"Why? Would there be a consequence?" Ibiki questioned.

"Nee-chan threatened that she would spread rumors about me looking through people's clothes with the Byakugan," Hanabi said.

The interrogator began to wonder if the Hyuuga clan really did use their Byakugan to see through people's clothes. **Note to self: tell Hokage to keep a close eye on the Hyuuga clan. **

"Did Hinata spread the rumors about her banishment from the Hyuuga clan?" Ibiki interrogated.

"Technically, it was Neji-kun that spread that rumor. Nee-chan only told Neji-kun to tell Konoha that she still existed," Hanabi replied.

"What makes you think that Neji would want to spread the rumors?" Ibiki questioned.

"I don't think, I understand. I understand that he loves Nee-chan, so he wanted to let people know she was gone, why, and how," Hanabi responded.

* * *

><p>Hanabi suddenly noticed the sound of someone writing something down. There were probably people taking notes, hiding in the dark.<p>

"Where is the Akatsuki base?"

"I don't know. Nee-chan was leading us to Konoha, so I don't know if the Akatsuki base is really far from Konoha or not since she's blind. She could've used a shortcut or a really long path."

"What directions did she use?"

"We went in circles a lot. We went through sand, misty swamps, and dark forests. We even took a boat once. Every time I asked if she really knew the directions, she would rebuke me for questioning her authority and not trusting her. It could've taken days to get to Konoha, or just a few hours. My perception of time was off."

Hanabi's description was completely true. Hinata took a really crazy route to confuse Hanabi. **Maybe that's why Nee-chan took that really confusing route to Konoha, so that I wouldn't tell them how to get to the Akatsuki base. But it's hard to tell because she's blind. **

"Are you implying that you witnessed your exit from the Akatsuki base?"

"I'm not implying it, I'm stating it as a fact."

"What did the surroundings of the Akatsuki base look like?"

"Desolate and sandy," Hanabi falsely described.

Hanabi was serious about protecting the secrets of the Akatsuki. She had a better time being kidnapped than living in her own home. Ibiki didn't sense Hanabi's lie, and moved on.

"What do you know about the Akatsuki?"

"I know that they're dangerous."

"You went with Hinata and Hidan by your own will, didn't you?"

"Yes. I'd rather get kidnapped and possibly killed than live under the roof of Hiashi Hyuuga."

"Does Hokage-sama want Nee-chan killed?" the Hyuuga heiress questioned.

Kurenai could've just been telling Hanabi what she wanted to hear, just like the other adults. She needed a second opinion from another adult.

"I believe that I'm the one that's supposed to be asking the questions," Ibiki answered.

"Why can't I know? Hokage-sama wants Nee-chan killed, doesn't she?" Hanabi replied.

Hanabi was using the same method of questioning as Ibiki had done earlier. The tables had turned on the interrogator.

"That's none of your concern," Ibiki firmly told her.

"But it_ is_ my concern! Do I not deserve to know?" Hanabi responded, now frantic.

"You're just a child."

"Why weasel information out of a child, then?" Hanabi retorted.

"You have valuable information."

"I just want to know if Hokage-sama wants Nee-chan killed or not. A simple question, is it not?"

Ibiki gave up. Hanabi was too determined and persistent. **Won't hurt to let the kid know something...**

"The Hokage does not wish for Hinata's death. She says that Hinata is a 'good person'," Ibiki finally answered.

"Thank you. I'll tell you something. Nee-chan is quick to make decisions. She never had any bonds with anyone in Konoha, so she'll kill anyone from Konoha in a flash if she has to. She's dangerous, so don't take her for granted. She really is a good person, but she can be bad when she feels like it. Nee-chan is really unpredictable," Hanabi told him.

Ibiki nodded at Hanabi. He gestured towards the heavy, metal door.

"You may go now," Ibiki said.

Hanabi got up from the wooden chair, and exited the Torture/Interrogation Room. **The real torture is sitting in that chair. **She smirked to herself, feeling boastful about lying to the top ANBU interrogator. Hanabi was disappointed that she didn't learn anything that she didn't already know. She shrugged, thinking that only Hinata was able to get answers from her interrogator.

* * *

><p>Neji exited from the hospital. Luckily, the injuries he got weren't too major. Sakura readjusted Neji's chakra flow and healed his wounds. He was told that he would be able to fight in a few hours, but was reminded to take it easy.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Sakura's hands glowed green while she used the Mystical Palm Technique on Neji's bare chest. Her short pink hair was tied up in a ponytail as she focused on healing the Hyuuga prodigy. Neji had bruises and puncture marks all over his skin. It scared her to know that whoever did this to Neji must've been insanely skilled, since Neji was a jounin. <em>

_"What happened?" Sakura asked._

_"I tried to bring Hinata back," Neji answered._

_"Hinata did this?" Sakura questioned, clearly shocked._

_Sakura didn't expect Hinata, the shy, caring, weak girl who hated fighting to do this to Neji. She knew that Hinata was in the Akatsuki, but she didn't know how dangerous Hinata really was. _

_"Yes, she's much stronger now," Neji replied._

_Sakura bit her lip. She urged herself to focus on the task on hand, knowing that she could put Neji into comatose if she messed up._

_"She's blind now, right? She must be really skilled," Sakura told him._

_"Yeah. They were talking about Hinata having some kind of advantage that Hinata didn't use during the fight," Neji said. _

_"Advantage? Isn't she at a disadvantage?" Sakura questioned. _

_"That's what I was thinking," Neji replied. _

_Sakura pondered over what Hinata's advantage was. _

_"Is it the fact that she knows you love her?" Sakura guessed._

_"No, she used that advantage during the ransom exchange," Neji denied._

_Neji sighed. He felt so used after what happened during the ransom exchange. Hinata used him, beat him to a pulp (again),and just left him. However, Neji knew that he did the right thing to help Hinata. Karma was on his side when the seal didn't work. _

_Sakura finished healing Neji after a few minutes, and the green glow around her hands disappeared._

_"You'll be able to fight again in two hours, but please take it easy," Sakura informed Neji._

_Neji stood up, and put on his shirt. She was expecting Neji to leave without another word._

_"Thank you," Neji stated, before finally leaving._

_Sakura was stunned. Usually, Neji would've just left without a "thank you", being the prideful Hyuuga he was. __**Was it Hinata? Did she change him?**_

* * *

><p>Neji walked to the prison called the main branch house of the Hyuuga clan. He knew that he shouldn't be going there after what happened last night, but he wanted to visit Hinata's old room, or cell as Neji preferred to call it. He needed to find out more about Hinata, to find reasons for Hinata to come back. He entered the gates, receiving the usual blank stare from the guards. He entered the house, and searched for Hinata's room.<p>

Neji knocked before entering, out of habit. He immediately just entered after realizing that Hinata didn't live there anymore, much to his sadness. Neji skimmed the room. Everything looked just as it did before, untouched, as if waiting for Hinata's return. He walked around, a sense of nostalgia hitting him.

He picked up a picture of Hinata and her mother smiling together in a garden. **Hiashi stole those happy moments and crushed them. **Neji noticed a key on Hinata's nightstand. He opened the drawer of the nightstand, scanning for anything important. A kunai knife, a first aid kit, and a jewelry chest with a lock on it was inside the drawer. He used the key from the nightstand to open the chest, peering at its contents.

There was a scroll and a book inside. He unrolled the scroll, seeing the crimson writing in it. The writing was unreadable, in a whole different language. He closed the scroll, and directed his attention to the book. The book was titled "Hinata's Diary", promising secrets in its contents.

He opened to the first page. The writing was so neat and beautiful that it could've been calligraphy. Neji wasn't expecting the diary to have notes in it.

* * *

><p><span>Hyuuga Main Branch Seal:<span>

- placed at forehead

- kills brain cells when activated

- can't be sealed away

For the seal to be activated, a simple hand seal has to be made, indicating that there's chakra embedded into the brain. If all members of the Hyuuga's main branch can activate it, then all of their chakra must be in the seal. The question is how to extract the chakra from the brain.

* * *

><p><strong>What? <strong>Neji flipped through more pages in the diary. Some pages had blood dripped on them, creating a contrast of red against white. The pages listed possible methods for reversing the seal, being proven wrong in the next page. One method included the possibility of the seal being able to seal away, which explained the use for the scroll and revealed that the words on the scroll were written in blood. A memory flashed into Neji's mind.

* * *

><p><em>Neji was sent to pick up Hinata from training. The baggy sleeve of her jacket slipped down her arm, revealing a large gash on her wrist. Neji noticed this, and proceeded to ask Hinata about it.<em>

_"What happened to your wrist, Hinata-sama?" Neji questioned._

_He knew that Hinata was suicidal, and that the cut on her wrist was probably her own doing. Neji wanted Hinata to tell him that herself, though._

_"O-oh. I-it's n-nothing, Neji-nii-san.Y-you don't have t-to worry," Hinata answered._

_She pulled back her sleeve, hiding her wrist again. Neji only shrugged, and continued walking Hinata back to the Hyuuga's main branch house._

* * *

><p>He kept flipping through pages until he reached the last page with writing in it. The pages after that were completely blank, asking to be written on. There was no other writing on the page to disprove the method listed.<p>

* * *

><p><span>The solution is so simple. So simple, that it must not be the real solution, though there's no evidence that disproves it. To expel the seal from oneself, one must have a strong will. They must want to fight against it with all their heart. Their brains must recognize the corruption, and rid itself of it. They must know that they are able to change their chosen destiny. <span>

The seal feeds on its victim's fear and doubts, which is how the main branch of the Hyuuga clan was able to control the lower branch for so long. With acceptance of destiny, the seal becomes truly permanent.

A strong will.

Courage. 

Like the courage that Naruto-kun gives me. 

Passion.

Undying love.

Like what I feel for Naruto-kun.

* * *

><p>Neji slammed the book shut, with the back cover facing him. There were words carved into the back cover.<p>

* * *

><p><em>~Dedicated to Neji-nii-san~<em>

_Break away from bonds_

_Be able to change your fate_

_Believe and take flight_

* * *

><p>Neji was astounded. Everything made sense to him, now. <strong>She did this all to protect me...? <strong>He sat on Hinata's old bed, staring at the words on the back cover of Hinata's diary. **But how am I supposed to bring her back? Say thanks, and then everything will go back to normal? **He knew all this information, yet he had no idea what to do with it. All it did was give him more and more questions.

Neji did find one thing, though. He found a reason for Hinata to return: Naruto. Now he had to find Naruto.

* * *

><p>Itach chose to train Hinata on genjutsu near the waterfall behind the Akatsuki base. It was a place of great peace. That is, until Hidan arrives. Luckily, he didn't follow Itachi and Hinata this time.<p>

"To perform genjutsu, you need very precise chakra control. Your chakra is sent to your victim's brain, and you manipulate the chakra flow in his or her mind, causing a disruption in the five senses," Itachi explained.

Itachi's voice was surprisingly clear over the crashing of the waterfall. He wasn't even yelling or raising his voice.

"Can your chakra physically crush the brain, Sensei?" Hinata questioned.

"Such a technique has not been invented, yet," Itachi answered, disregarding his new nickname.

"There's the Hyuuga main branch seal. When activated, it kills off brain cells," Hinata responded.

"That's a Cursed Seal, not a jutsu," Itachi replied.

"Oh, okay."

Itachi guided Hinata towards the pool of water around the roaring waterfall.

"Use your chakra to manipulate the flow of the water. Your goal is to make the waterfall flow in reverse," the Uchiha told the ex-Hyuuga.

Hinata responded by transferring some of her chakra to her feet, and walking on the water's surface. She kept a good distance from the waterfall, and focused her chakra towards the waterfall. **Watch me, Itachi-sama. **Hinata concentrated on pushing back the waterfall. She managed to make a part of the waterfall rise. Itachi noticed this, noting that Hinata was a fast learner.

"That's good, you're making fast progress. Just concentrate on reversing the flow," Itachi commented.

Hinata smiled. **Recognition-something else I wanted but never got while I was in Konoha. **She imagined the waterfall to be a flow of energy, pretending to make the energy flow backwards. Hinata dispersed her chakra into the entire waterfall, so that each drop had her chakra in it. The waterfall was starting to become a water-rise. **Make the energy flow upwards. Defy gravity. Go against the odds. Just like...**

* * *

><p>"Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured.<p>

Hinata lost all of her focus. The waterfall continued to rain down. Itachi saw Hinata's lips move, and presumed that she said something that couldn't be heard over the waterfall.

"Hn?" Itachi responded.

"Gomenasai, I lost focus," Hinata apologized.

"Is something bothering you again?" Itachi questioned.

"Well..." Hinata started.

**"What do you do when you're stuck in a love pentagon?" No, that's way too blunt. But then again, I was really blunt when I told Leader-san why I was wearing Itachi-sama's cloak... **

"I used to know this one boy, or thought I did, and he always made me really happy. I loved him. It turns out that that was just a big lie, and now I kind of want to kill him. Is that normal?" Hinata bluntly questioned.

Itachi looked at Hinata's face. Her face was full of mixed emotions, not knowing which emotion to stick with. **The dream. **

"It's not exactly normal, though somehow understandable," Itachi answered.

"What's his name?" Itachi replied.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Hinata told him.

**Naruto. The jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox. She said his name during her dream last night. And mine. And Hidan's. And Neji's. **

"Did you want him to let you go?" Itachi asked.

Hinata contemplated the question.

"No, I didn't want anyone to let me go. I didn't even want to leave," Hinata answered.

Itachi held similar thoughts. **Neither did I.**

"You should tell him your feelings," Itachi advised.

Hinata stayed mute for a few minutes, considering Itachi's words.

* * *

><p>"Do you know who his parents are?" Hinata questioned.<p>

**Why did I ask that? How would he know? **

"Actually, yes," Itachi answered.

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. **Yes? So he does know? How?**

"His father was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and his mother was Kushina Uzumaki," Itachi told her.

"Kushina Uzumaki was the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed fox before Naruto. When Kushina was giving birth, the seal that kept the Nine-Tails from escaping weakened, thus letting the Nine-Tails come out and destroy Konoha. To save the village, Minato and Kushina decided to seal the Nine-Tails inside of Naruto," Itachi explained.

"They protected Naruto with their lives, and died in the process," Itachi added.

"How do you know?" Hinata questioned.

"Kushina was my mother's best friend, and she wanted Naruto and Sasuke to be best friends, too," Itachi answered.

Hinata thought about Naruto's parents. **They were good people, just like Naruto-kun. Must be genetic. **

"I want to be a good mother, like Kushina was," Hinata stated.

"Who's going to be the father?" Itachi questioned.

"Not Neji, that's for sure," Hinata answered.

"Why not?" Itachi asked.

"I don't think I want to have sex with a Hyuuga, considering that I used to be one," Hinata told him.

Itachi remembered a piece of history that he learned about the Uchiha clan. **Incest was common with the Uchiha clan. **It disgusted him to know that his great-great-granduncle molested his other great-great-granduncle. Itachi loved his younger brother, though not in_ that _way.

"Naruto, then?" Itachi guessed.

"No, I'm sure he wouldn't want to marry someone like me," Hinata replied.

**After all, I'm just a useless blind girl that Naruto-kun always ignored. **_**He**_** doesn't care. Nobody in Konoha cares. Nobody in Konoha cares. Nobody in Konoha cares.**_** Nobody.**_

"I'm sure that any man would be lucky to marry someone like you," Itachi told her.

Hinata smiled at Itachi.

"Arigato," Hinata said.

"I'll marry the man that I love," Hinata told him.

"Who do you love?" Itachi curiously asked.

Hinata pondered the question for a few minutes.** That's a good question...**

"I'll love the man that gives me light," Hinata promised.

It was Itachi's turn to contemplate Hinata's words.

"I hope you find him," Itachi told her.

Hinata didn't know what to say. **He doesn't know. **She could tell him that she already did find him, only she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure if what he gave her was real. She wasn't sure if she loved him. She wasn't sure if she could tell him if she did love him.

"Me too," Hinata said.

* * *

><p>Hinata began to focus on the waterfall again. <strong>Reverse the energy flow. <strong>She spread her chakra over the waterfall once again, and tried to force it upwards. It started out slow at first, but in a few minutes, the entire waterfall began to flow backwards. Itachi was surprised at Hinata's fast progress.

"Impressive, you're learning genjutsu at a faster rate than I did," Itachi complimented.

"The next step is to actually cast a genjutsu on someone," Itachi said.

"We're going to use Hidan-senpai to train my genjutsu, right?" Hinata questioned.

"Precisely," Itachi confirmed.

* * *

><p>Hinata knew Itachi well, and vice versa. Hidan was the perfect person to test Hinata's genjutsu on, since he was immortal and ignorant. Plus, they both knew the other wanted payback for bursting into their room. Itachi led Hinata back inside the Akatsuki base, and headed towards the kitchen, where most of the Akatsuki members were gossiping.<p>

"Damn straight it was a fucking success!" Hidan declared, referring to the ransom exchange.

"Really? I thought you'd screw it up," Konan replied.

"It was obviously Hinata that did the negotiating. Hidan is an idiot," Kakuzu pointed out.

"Shut the fuck up, heathen bastard!" Hidan responded.

Hidan attempted an assault on Kakuzu with his scythe. Kakuzu stopped Hidan's scythe from hitting him with ease, obviously familiar with the routine.

"Hinata had to do the negotiating because of the bet, un," Deidara said.

"And Hinata totally fucking won the bet! Bitch almost got herself killed trying to keep the bet," Hidan realized.

Hidan was still trying to kill Kakuzu when he realized that. Kakuzu pushed Hidan down, much to Hidan's chagrin.

"I'm a man of my word. Hinata, what do you want for dinner?" Sasori questioned.

"Tanuki soba," Hinata answered.

Hidan got up, mumbling incoherent curses about Kakuzu.

"What about you, Hidan-san?" Konan asked.

"Beef spare ribs, bitch," Hidan answered.

* * *

><p>"And we all know what Hinata wants for dessert," Kisame stated.<p>

Konan, Deidara, and Hidan laughed; Kakuzu, Kisame, and Sasori smirked; Pein nodded in approval at Itachi; Itachi rolled his eyes; Hinata stared blankly in confusion. Once again, Zetsu was missing.

"I don't get it," Hinata stated.

Hinata was too innocent to know what the joke was about. Or at least pretending to be.

"You fucking want the Uchiha bastard's d-" Hidan was starting to say.

"Don't taint her mind," Itachi interrupted.

"Says the one who tainted her virginity," Sasori retorted.

"Oh, I get it now," Hinata said, realizing what the joke meant.

"I'm still a virgin," Hinata told Sasori.

"Sodomy, then?" Sasori replied.

"No, the relationship is platonic," Hinata responded.

"The relationship is as platonic as your eyes can see," Sasori told her.

* * *

><p>Sasori was going way too far, now. You're not supposed to remind a blind girl that she's blind. Despite this, Hinata remained completely calm.<p>

"My sight is better than you assume it is, Sasori-senpai," Hinata said.

"How many fingers am I holding up, then?" Sasori questioned.

Sasori didn't even bother to hold up any number of fingers. Hinata decided to take a gamble, and assumed that Sasori was bluffing.

"None," Hinata answered.

It was clear how surprised the Akatsuki members were. Needless to say, Sasori got _served_.

"Hinata, are you really blind?" Pein questioned.

"I regret to say that I am," Hinata assured him.

Nobody was sure if Hinata was telling the truth. Everyone knew that she was, but her actions say otherwise.

"How the fuck did you know that the puppet bastard wasn't holding up any fingers, then?" Hidan questioned.

"I'm just lucky," Hinata answered.

"You have some real good luck," Konan replied.

"Especially in bed, un," Deidara added.

Konan, Hidan, and Deidara started laughing again.

"Honestly, if our relationship was sexual, I'm sure we'd still be in bed right now," Hinata stated.

"In fact, I don't think I'd ever want to leave the bed ever again," Hinata added.

* * *

><p>Itachi had lost all hope of Hinata being innocent. Though in a way, she still was. The room became devoid of noise, contemplating Hinata's words.<p>

"She has a point there," Konan finally said.

It was unanimous; Hinata's and Itachi's relationship was platonic. It wouldn't stop them from suggesting that it become more than that, though. No, not at all. In fact, this was probably the inspiration for it.

* * *

><p>"Konoha has some really strange rumors," Hinata brought up, changing the subject.<p>

"Oh my fucking Jashin, those bastards thought I was some kind of fucking shinigami," Hidan recalled.

"Hidan-senpai, you carry around a scythe, perform religious rituals, and talk about a God named Jashin. Of course they think you're a shinigami," Hinata told him.

Hidan certainly looked like a shinigami, especially during one of his rituals. He might actually be one, if you think about it. The Jashinist didn't think himself to be a shinigami, though.

"What I don't understand is why they call me a 'Moon-Eyed Goddess'," Hinata said.

"It's 'cause they're fucking atheists, worshipping fucking fake Gods," Hidan replied.

"And you don't?" Kakuzu retorted, as if by instinct.

"Jashin-sama is fucking real!" Hidan claimed.

"Hinata, do you think this 'Jashin' is real?" Kakuzu asked.

"Actually, yes. If Hidan-senpai is immortal, then 'Jashin-sama' must be real," Hinata answered.

"See! The blind bitch has seen the fucking light!" Hidan declared.

**The light. **Itachi glanced at Hinata's face. She was smiling, amused by Hidan's religious rants. **If Hidan showed her the light, then that means that he's the one that she loves. But then there's still Naruto. And me. **

Hidan began to start his speech about Jashin being the only true God. It seemed like each pair of partners in the Akatsuki always had the one that ranted on about their beliefs. Sasori and Deidara with Deidara ranting about art being a bang, Kakuzu and Hidan with Hidan ranting on about Jashin being God, Kisame and Itachi with Itachi believing in peace-though he didn't rant on about it, and Konan and Pein with Pein ranting about the Akatsuki being a hopeless organization. Itachi and Hinata were a different story. Zetsu was just an exception.

"Jashin isn't real," Kakuzu insisted.

"Fucking blasphemy!" Hidan snapped.

* * *

><p>Hidan continued his passionate speech. Kakuzu let out an exasperated sigh, and left the room. Hinata took this as the perfect chance to practice her genjutsu. She did some quick hand seals, and cast a genjutsu upon Hidan.<p>

"And Jashin-sama shall fucking smite-holy shit!"

Hidan instantly froze. He became emerged in an endlessly dark, silent place, as if he went blind and deaf. Everyone was relieved when the immortal man suddenly ceased his immortal rant. Itachi was proud of his student's success. Hinata dispelled the illusion.

"What the fuck? It got all fucking dark and silent," Hidan described.

"The silence was bliss," Itachi replied.

"Bastard! Stop fucking my mind!" Hidan yelled at Itachi, assuming the latter to be the culprit.

"If I did it, then I wouldn't have ended the silence," Itachi told him.

"He's right. Hina-chan did it," Konan informed Hidan.

Hidan turned towards Hinata. He grabbed Hinata's shoulders, and started to shake her.

"Are you fucking mad, woman? You're turning into a fucking Uchiha!" Hidan yelled.

"You're going to make me go deaf if you keep yelling, Hidan-senpai," Hinata warned him.

Hidan released his grip on Hinata.

"Seriously, though, you're becoming like the fucking Uchiha bastard," Hidan told Hinata, his voice slightly quieter, though still loud.

* * *

><p>Hinata thought about Hidan's accusation. <strong>Turning into an Uchiha? I am, aren't I? I'm more of an Uchiha than a Hyuuga. <strong>Konan suddenly remembered that she was supposed to go shopping with Hinata today.

"Hey Hina-chan, let's go shopping now," Konan suggested.

"Hidan-senpai, where's the suitcase with the money?" Hinata questioned.

"It's in the fucking fridge," Hidan answered.

Konan opened the fridge, got out the suitcase, took some money, and returned the suitcase to the fridge. Nobody questioned why Hidan stored a million dollars in a fridge. Hinata and Konan left the base to do their shopping without another word.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sakura were at the park, discussing a tree for some strange reason. Naruto was certain that the tree was an oak, but Sakura kept insisting it was a spruce. Neji walked up to the two, needing Naruto's help.<p>

"It's an oak tree, believe it!" Naruto claimed.

Sakura hit the back of Naruto's head, refusing to believe that the tree is an oak.

"Baka, it's obviously a spruce! Just look at the leaves," Sakura responded.

"Neji, can you please tell this idiot that the tree over there is a spruce tree?" Sakura requested.

Sakura pointed at the so-called spruce tree. Neji glanced at the tree they were talking about.

"It's not even a tree, it's an Azara bush," Neji informed the two.

"Ha! I was close," Naruto said.

"It doesn't even-never mind. Anyway, Naruto, I need your help," Neji told Naruto.

"Huh?" Naruto questioned.

* * *

><p>"I think I know why Hinata left, and why she should come back," Neji told him.<p>

"Take a look at this," Neji said, taking out Hinata's diary.

Naruto's eyes widened as he read the words on the cover of the book that Neji was holding. **Diary = secret. Secret = no looking. Looking at secret = suicide.**

"You stole her diary? You have to respect a woman's privacy," Naruto advised, remembering the dream where he peeked into the girls' dressing room.

"It's not a diary," Neji replied.

He flipped open to the first page. Naruto shielded his eyes, as if the diary would blind him if he looked at it.

"I'm not looking! I'm not looking!" Naruto responded.

Sakura took a curious look into Hinata's diary. Neji was right; it wasn't a diary. It was more like a log.

"This is top secret information about the Hyuuga main branch seal, where'd she get this from?" Sakura questioned.

"She probably stole it from Hiashi's archives," Neji answered.

Naruto became intrigued by the diary, and took a look at it, too. He was amazed at the research that Hinata had done. There were even diagrams.

"Hinata's a genius!" Naruto stated.

Neji skipped to the last page with writing in it. Naruto was perplexed at the last words.

* * *

><p>"'Passion. Undying Love. Like what I feel for Naruto-kun'," Neji quoted.<p>

Naruto squinted at the words, thinking he must've read them wrong. He didn't read them wrong; they were true.

"...What?" Naruto questioned.

Naruto didn't understand at all. His mind could process the fact that Sasuke left, the fact that Hinata left, the fact that Hinata was secretly gathering information about the Hyuuga main branch seal, but he couldn't process what Neji had told him. The fact that Hinata loved him. The fact that he didn't care and inadvertently made her _suffer so much_.

"_Hinata loves you_. To break away from the seal, you have to have a strong will, which becomes stronger with love. She wanted me to fall in love with her so that I could be free," Neji explained.

Naruto thought back on the times that Hinata's face turned red around him. It wasn't a fever. She had a crush on him. Hinata wanted to be recognized by Naruto, but he only ignored her. The person that she _loved_ hurt her and _betrayed_ her, and _didn't even care_.

"At the ransom meeting, Hiashi tried to trick Hinata with a fake suitcase. She picked up on this, and asked me to check the suitcase with my Byakugan for her. I did, and told her it was a fake. Hiashi tried to activate the seal, but it didn't work," Neji told them.

"She... She was_ right_," Sakura stated, though it came out more similar to a question.

* * *

><p>"But then that means Hinata left because she wanted to <em>protect<em> you. She left behind _everything_ she had, risked getting _killed_, became a _traitor_, just for _you_," Naruto realized, slowly putting the pieces together.

Neji only nodded sadly.

"What if Hiashi banished and blinded her because he found out about Hinata stealing this information? Think about it, he could've just put the Hyuuga main branch seal on her and thrown her into the lower branch, unless she knew how to break the seal," Sakura told them.

**All that **_**suffering... Suffering... Suffering... Suffering...**_** Suffering**_** so**_** much... To **_**protect me**_**... **Neji only cried three times in his entire life. He cried when his dad died, when he got the Hyuuga main branch seal, when he found out that Hinata was at the point of no return. One more time wouldn't hurt; not as much as the guilt stabbing his heart.

"Woah, are you... crying?" Naruto asked.

Neji let the tears fall. He let the tears fall on pages of the bloodstained diary. He just let them fall, like the way Hinata fell from being a good girl to a bad girl. No. She was still good. _They_ were the ones that were bad.

* * *

><p>Fall.<p>

Crack.

Break.

Shatter.

* * *

><p>"Oh, umm... Ano... Don't cry? It'll be all right," Naruto falsely assured him.<p>

Naruto had no idea how to comfort a crying Hyuuga. Hyuugas aren't even supposed to cry, they're supposed to be emotionless and cold. They're supposed to be arrogant, uncaring, and unfazed by anything that happens to them. Right?

"Help me bring her back. Please," Neji begged.

Neji dried his tears, and regained his composure.

"Well, do you know how to bring her back?" Naruto asked.

He was trying the logical approach.

"The Akatsuki is going to a hot springs, which means Itachi Uchiha will be there. Where Itachi is, Sasuke could be," Neji answered.

If Hinata's love for Naruto couldn't motivate Naruto to want to bring her back, then Sasuke would. And it did.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered.

"Where? When?" Sakura questioned, suddenly interested as the topic changed to Sasuke.

It was sick. Hinata, who left behind _everything_ she had and got _blinded_ to _protect_ Neji, had only one person, no,_ two people who wanted to bring her back_. But when it comes to Sasuke, who left behind his _friends_ and got blinded by _hatred_ to get _revenge_ on Itachi, _everyone is willing to put their lives on the line_ _to bring him back_. It's. Not. Fair.

* * *

><p>"...Never mind," Neji suddenly told them.<p>

He turned his back on the two, and left. Naruto and Sakura were completely baffled by this. One second Neji is crying, begging Naruto to help him bring Hinata back, then another second he just changes his mind. Sakura and Naruto caught up to Neji, now frantic.

"What do you mean 'never mind'? We were going to help you, and you just change your mind?" Sakura questioned, feeling frustration swell up inside of her.

"Just forget about it. Forget this ever happened, like how you chose to forget about Hinata so quickly. I don't care," Neji told them, ice stabbing their ears.

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered, at a loss for words.

"Neji, we just want to you help you," Naruto calmly replied.

"You two obviously care more about Sasuke. Why should I bother you with a mission to save Hinata? Why would you two care?" Neji questioned.

"Neji, we do care about Hinata-"

Neji turned around so that he was facing Naruto and Sakura.

"Then why get so suddenly interested when the topic changed to _Sasuke_?" the Hyuuga asked harshly, saying Sasuke's name with such venomous ice.

It was such an ugly, icy truth. Subconsciously, Naruto and Sakura cared more about Sasuke than Hinata. They thought Sasuke was better than Hinata.

* * *

><p>Speaking of Sasuke, he was taking a walk around Orochimaru's base. The design of the Akatsuki base had inspired Orochimaru to make a base of equal size, with just as many twists and turns. With the Sharingan, Sasuke had been able to memorize every centimeter of Orochimaru's base. Or at least the one he was in right now. The Snake Sannin wasn't the type to stay in one place; he had many bases.<p>

Sasuke was still pondering over the news that he had heard from Kabuto. The shy, timid Hinata with the foolish crush on Naruto was now an S-rank criminal in the Akatsuki. Plus, the Byakugan user had gone blind. Sasuke was wondering if pigs had the ability to fly now. **What. The. Hell.**

"Sasuke-san," Kabuto called, trying to get Sasuke's attention.

It took a few seconds before the young Uchiha finally snapped out of his trance. It amused Kabuto how Sasuke reacted so much over one girl. **Perhaps the boy likes Hinata. **

"It appears that Hinata has been nicknamed the Moon-Eyed Goddess. She's partnered with a Shinigami. There's been rumors of Hinata and Itachi having a relationship," Kabuto informed the teenager.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, returning to his pointless walk around the base.

"You seem troubled, my boy. Do you happen to hold an affection for Hinata?" Kabuto questioned with a smirk.

Kabuto just loved to mess with people. It made him feel superior when he knew that he could manipulate people's feelings. He was able to turn someone into his personal puppet with just a few words. He loved feeling like a sick, twisted God that could control other people's fates.

"_No_! Leave. Me. Alone!" Sasuke instantly denied, with a louder tone to emphasize his point.

Kabuto only smirked at Sasuke's reaction. The topic seemed to tick him off, and Kabuto adored the idea of ticking Sasuke off.

"Are you sure? A great majority of people have said that Hinata holds great beauty and grace. They've also said that she was quite dangerous. A murderous elegance, she is," Kabuto told Sasuke.

"Shut up already!" Sasuke yelled.

"As you wish, Sasuke-san. I must warn you, it's not healthy to bottle up your emotions," Kabuto forewarned him.

Sasuke responded by storming away from Kabuto, entering the first empty room he could find. He slammed the door, and hid from Kabuto's poisonous words. Kabuto smirked once more, and shook his head in amusement.

"Teenagers," Kabuto simply stated.

Kabuto walked away, probably looking for someone else to bring trouble to. It was almost sadistic the way he twisted people's words and minds. **If the boy really does hold an affection for the Moon-Eyed Goddess... I'll have great pleasure in torturing him over it.**

* * *

><p>"No," Hinata told the young man.<p>

"Why not?" he replied.

"You have no reason to like me," Hinata answered.

"I do have a reason," the man retorted.

"Enlighten me," Hinata challenged.

The young man, about 15 or so, began to carefully think. It was true; he had no real reason to like Hinata. **Because you're hot? That's shallow. Shit, am I really this shallow?**

Hinata and Konan were shopping Konan's favorite mall. It was somewhere between the borders of two countries, and a good one and a half hour's walk from the Akatsuki base. Lots of boys hit on Hinata and Konan while the two girls were there.

"...Never mind," the teenager told her.

He gave up on his infatuation for Hinata. He walked back to his friends, and told them of his failed attempt to go on a date with "that really hot chick".

* * *

><p>"You're lucky that you're not single, Konan-chan," Hinata told Konan.<p>

"Perfect excuse to drive away boys," Konan replied.

"What about Itachi-kun?" Konan asked.

"We're not a couple," Hinata assured her.

"You sure? You two acted like one this morning," Konan reminded Hinata.

Hinata's face turned a soft shade of red. She recalled Sasori's words that morning. **"Itachi must've known that Hinata was in the same bed as he. After all, he allowed her to cuddle up to him." What if he did know? **

"That was an accident," Hinata responded, trying to convince herself more than Konan.

"I know. You two would make a really good couple, though," Konan replied.

Konan began to picture Itachi and Hinata together. **They look so sexy together, in the same bed. If they did it in a hot springs... Hot springs...**

* * *

><p>"Oh crap, I forgot about the money for the hot springs trip," Konan suddenly realized.<p>

"You didn't get the money yet?" Hinata asked.

"I was, err, 'distracted'," Konan answered.

Konan smiled as she remembered last night, the night before, the night before that, the night before that, etc. She was very distracted, indeed.

"You wanna kidnap the Hokage?" Hinata suggested.

"I need $150, not $150 million," Konan replied.

"It's good to have extra money, just in case," Hinata advised.

"Itachi-sama and I aren't paying. You can have some of the money from the ransom exchange," Hinata offered.

"How do you expect to go if you don't pay?" Konan questioned.

"The man's a genius," Hinata vaguely answered.

"No, Nagato-kun is too proud to accept help," Konan denied.

"Nagato, that's what his name was! Hidan-senpai thought his name started with a P," Hinata told her.

"Well, yes and no. Nagato is his real name, Pein is his alias. You call him Pein," Konan replied.

"That's confusing," Hinata stated.

"Yeah. Any ideas to make money that doesn't involve kidnapping?" Konan asked.

"What's wrong with kidnapping?" Hinata questioned, offended.

"Well, I find it unreasonable to kidnap someone for a million dollars just for a $75 hot springs trip," Konan answered.

"You're on your own, then," Hinata told her.

"I'm sure Nagato-kun will find a way," Konan said.

* * *

><p>The two entered a store that sold kimonos. Konan thought that Hinata should keep her current look with kimonos, since she thought that Hinata looked good in them.<p>

"What color do you want?" Konan asked.

"White? Black? Orange? Red? Pink? Blue? Purple? Yellow?"

Hinata thought for a second. **Orange... Naruto-kun. **

"I'm okay with anything _but_ orange," Hinata answered.

"How about this one?" Konan asked, holding up a blue flower-printed kimono.

Konan suddenly remembered that Hinata was blind. **Oh. At least she won't be too picky.**

"Oh, sorry," Konan apologized.

"It's okay. Sometimes I forget I'm blind, too," Hinata admitted.

"I want something easy to fight in, and maybe something just for hanging around," Hinata told Konan.

"On it," Konan confirmed.

"What's your size?" Konan asked.

"Small," Hinata answered.

* * *

><p>It only took Konan a few minutes to find a dozen suitable kimonos for Hinata. Some were short, like the one that Hinata was wearing when she joined the Akatsuki, and some were long. They were in every color, except orange. Konan dragged Hinata into the dressing room, and they did a little fashion show. A few other girls began to watch.<p>

Hinata strut around the dressing room in a long, snow-white kimono with a red ribbon at the waist. She began to laugh, feeling ludicrous. Everything she has worn so far looked good on her.

"Why are we doing this?" Hinata questioned.

"To see if they fit and look good on you," Konan answered.

"Turn around," Konan ordered.

Hinata followed her friend's order, giggling more in the process.

"Wow, is she a model?" a blonde girl with short hair asked.

"Nope, but she should be," Konan replied.

Five girls watched in awe as Hinata tried on more kimonos. Hinata wasn't aware of the audience. When Hinata tried on the last kimono, she was relieved. Hinata had spent at least two hours trying on all the kimonos that Konan got. The five girls clapped once the "fashion show" was over.

"What are they clapping for?" Hinata asked.

"The show you just put on," Konan answered.

"They were watching?"

"Yeah."

Hinata blushed, suddenly feeling silly for the catwalk she did. She thought nobody would be watching, which is why she did it.

"You were really good, though. One girl even thought you were a model," Konan told her.

"It's creepy being watched all the time," Hinata commented.

"So are we just going to buy them all?" Hinata asked.

"Might as well. There's more than enough money," Konan replied.

"The kidnapping for a million dollars really pays off in the end," Hinata remarked.

Konan and Hinata headed towards the checkout lane. They paid for the clothes, and headed back to the Akatsuki base with Hinata and Konan each carrying two shopping bags. Konan also bought beef spare ribs in a takeout container for Hidan, since she lost her bet against him.

* * *

><p>"Zetsu-san!" Konan called.<p>

Zetsu came up from the floor, hearing his name being called.

"Yessss?" Zetsu asked.

"Can you please take these bags to Hina-chan's room?" Konan politely requested.

"Arigato," Konan thanked.

Zetsu took the girls' shopping bags, and travelled to Hinata's room, placing the bags on her bed. Zetsu's other half commented that he shouldn't let people order them around, but Zetsu only ignored himself.

* * *

><p>After Neji told Tsunade about the Akatsuki's plans of visiting a hot springs, Tsunade was surprised. Who knew that an organization of S-rank criminals took vacations? She called Kurenai, Kakashi, Shino, Kiba, Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Sai to her office.<p>

"I'm assigning you all an S-rank mission to retrieve Hinata," the Hokage informed them.

Guilt began to pierce everyone's hearts, except Sai's and Neji's. Sai had no emotions, while Neji was the only one trying to bring Hinata back. The rest felt guilt for not wanting to accept the mission.

"A very reliable source has informed me that the Akatsuki are taking a visit to a hot springs. The objective is to find out which hot springs they are staying at, and bring Hinata back. Gather information if you can," Tsunade told them.

"I didn't know S-rank criminals took vacations," Kakashi commented.

"Apparently, Hinata and Hidan kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress to gather money for this hot springs trip," Tsunade replied.

"Really? Must be some crazy prices," Kiba remarked.

"It was $25 per person per day, and they're going to be staying there for three days starting this Friday," Neji told him.

"That's a better price than the hot springs here. Why did they kidnap the Hyuuga heiress for a million dollars just to get $75 for a hot springs trip?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Hinata found that amusing, too," Neji replied.

"The mission starts in three hours. Meet at the village gates. You're all dismissed," Tsunade told them.

* * *

><p>Everyone began to clear out of Tsunade's office, with the exception of Naruto and Neji. Naruto had a grim expression on his face. Neji glared coldly at Naruto, still angry at him for what happened earlier.<p>

"Baa-chan, there's a chance that Sasuke could be there if Itachi is there," Naruto stated.

Tsunade shook her head at this, as if disapproving his words. Neji clenched his fist.

"This isn't about Sasuke, this is about Hinata," Tsunade reminded him.

"I know, but still," Naruto replied.

Tsunade sighed, and began to look over some documents about the Akatsuki. So little was known about the Akatsuki. It felt like they were winning, but that's not supposed to happen. Konoha was the heroes, and Hinata was the villain. The heroes always beat the villains in the end. Right?

"Neji told me that Hinata used to like me," Naruto suddenly brought up.

"I never really thought much of her. She was my friend and all, but a part of me ignored her. And I'm still ignoring her," Naruto confessed.

"Hinata didn't like you. She _loved_ you," Neji told him.

Silence. Naruto was speechless. How could he describe the feelings inside of him? He was probably the one that hurt Hinata the most.

"Naruto, is there something you wanted?" Tsunade questioned, breaking the everlasting silence.

"No, I'll just go now," Naruto replied.

* * *

><p>Naruto left the room, feeling like a complete idiot. He's been an idiot many times, but this just tops it all. Hinata was suffering so much, and he didn't even care. He never noticed her, he never helped. Everyone was too busy trying to help Sasuke. <strong>No! Stop thinking about Sasuke! That's the reason why Hinata suffered so much. I'm so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! <strong>

He couldn't help but feel that it was all his fault. If he cared more, then Hinata would've never left. He lost _another_ friend. _Guilt_. So much _guilt_. **It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. **It wasn't just Naruto that felt that way, it was everyone in the Konoha 11. Except Tenten; she was a different story.

* * *

><p>Neji placed Hinata's diary on Tsunade's desk. She gave a quizzical glance towards the Hyuuga prodigy.<p>

"You stole her diary?" Tsunade questioned.

"...Yes, I stole her diary," Neji admitted.

The Hokage shrugged, and opened up the diary. She felt some guilt for looking into Hinata's personal thoughts and secrets, which were all compressed into a book intended for her venting, not for others to peek at. Her thoughts were instantly changed when she read a few pages of the diary. **Genius. Genius. Genius.**

Her eyes widened as she spot a small splatter of crimson on a page. **Blood. Blood. Blood. **Flashbacks of Dan appeared before Tsunade's eyes, with each detail burned into her mind so perfectly. **There was so much **_**blood**_**.** Tsunade instantly dropped the diary, as if it had suddenly set on fire.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called, recognizing the horrified expression on her sensei's face.

Shizune rushed over to Tsunade, and took a look at the diary. Sure enough, there was some blood in it. Shizune comforted the Hokage, saying that everything will be okay. The thing was, everything wasn't going to be okay. Shizune led Neji out of Tsunade's office, with a frantic expression.

* * *

><p>"We'll send Hinata's diary to the Konoha Cryptanalysis Squad in case there's some kind of secret message in it," Shizune informed Neji.<p>

"What happened?" Neji asked.

"Tsunade-sama had a younger brother, but he died. Then she met Dan, her boyfriend, and he died a bloody death. Ever since then, Tsunade-sama has been scared of blood," Shizune explained.

Neji wanted to say he was sorry, but what would that do? Pity the Hokage? He wanted to show that he cared, that he felt remorse, but after what Hinata told him, he decided against it. **"You don't love me. You **_**pity**_** me." **A part of him was saying that it was true. What if his love was just guilt?

Neji nodded, and left the building. **The person she loved died a bloody death... Hinata won't die. Hinata won't die. Hinata won't die. **Neji was too busy repeating that phrase in his mind that he didn't even realize he already made it to his room. He packed his things almost robot-like. Wouldn't that be nice; being an emotionless robot? Not being able to feel pain, regret, sadness, depression. It's almost worth the sacrifice of happiness and free will.

* * *

><p>The sun fell below the horizon in the West, bringing upon the evening. Hinata and Hidan were given the free dinners they were promised. Neji didn't feel like eating dinner that evening. The rest of the Konoha 11 ate their dinners without regret, basking in their ignorance of Hinata's leave.<p>

Hinata was wearing a long, red silk kimono with flowers with a black obi that she bought earlier. She was currently sitting down on the couch, her legs crossed. She understood why Konan enjoyed sleeping on the couch so much; it was comfortable.

"I mean, I don't get why, really. Horny, I'm telling you," Hinata said.

Itachi walked into the living room, where Hinata was speaking to her friend. She seemed to be having fun with chatting with the friend. Her friend was certainly a good listener.

"It's so weird," Hinata told her friend.

He glanced at the friend that Hinata was talking to.

"Hinata, you're talking to a lamp," Itachi informed the blind girl.

An offended expression spread across Hinata's face.

"The lamp is a very good conversationalist," replied Hinata.

Itachi mentally sighed, and shook his head with that what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-do-with-you look on his face. Yes, she was blind, but she should've known she wasn't talking to a real person since her friend had no chakra emanating from it. Her mental state worried Itachi.

"I've considered becoming a prostitute once. I thought that I might as well become one, since I had nothing else to do with my life," Hinata admitted.

It was unknown whether Hinata was talking to the lamp or Itachi. Itachi decided that she was talking to him, since she knew he was in the room. He scanned her figure. She certainly did have the body to be a prostitute, but she was far from a slut, ho, or whore.

"Prostitution is a horrible thing. It's what turns beautiful women ugly," Itachi told her.

Hinata was happy that she made the right choice to not become a prostitute. **Oh hey, did he just call me beautiful?**

"Yeah, I'm glad I didn't become one. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you," Hinata replied.

"Are you talking to me, or the lamp?" Itachi questioned.

Hinata laughed, and smiled at Itachi.

"The lamp," Hinata answered.

Itachi suddenly realized that it might actually be true. A lamp provides light, and Hinata had mentioned that she would love the man who gives her light. With her mental state, it was very possible for her to fall in love with a lamp. It was quite a handsome lamp, too... **Jealous of a lamp? The people here are starting to make me go crazy, too. **

"I hope you're kidding," Itachi responded.

"I am. I'd be lost without you," Hinata assured him.

* * *

><p>Itachi sat on the opposite end of the couch, so that there was still a comfortable distance between them. Deidara walked into the room, and saw that Itachi and Hinata were on opposite ends of the couch.<p>

"Hey, Deidara-senpai," Hinata greeted the blonde.

"Hey, un," Deidara replied.

Deidara sat in between Hinata and Itachi, filling in the empty space. **Feels nice to be someone's superior.**

"Figuratively or literally?" Itachi asked her.

"Both," Hinata told Itachi.

Deidara listened to the conversation carefully, suddenly becoming interested. The mere presence of Deidara being in the room started to irritate Itachi. Deidara, along with others, have the strange goal of wanting to annoy Itachi to death.

* * *

><p>"So, what are you doing today, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked.<p>

Deidara could just hear Itachi's blunt reply in his mind right now. **"You." **He coughed loudly, as if trying to censor Itachi's reply.

"Ano, okay... Do anything exciting lately?" Hinata questioned.

**"Just you." **Deidara started to cough loudly again.

"I'm really-" Hinata started.

**"-horny." **Deidara repeated his earlier actions, with much louder and forceful coughs. He stopped coughing for a second to breathe, and continued.

"Are you-"

**"-hard yet, **_**Itachi-sama**_**?" **Cough cough cough cough cough.

"It's-"

**"-so **_**hot**_** in here, **_**Itachi-sama**_**. Let's make it hotter." **Cough cough cough cough cough cough cough.

"Really-"

**"-**_**wet**_** down here, **_**Itachi-sama**_**. Wanna do something about it?" **Cough cough cough cough cough. Silence. Cough cough cough. Cough.

"Deidara, what are you doing?" Itachi questioned, growing tired of the pattern.

"Cock-blocking, un," Deidara answered.

Once again, Itachi mentally sighed.

"May I ask why?" Itachi politely asked, with a hint of danger in the tone.

"It's fun, un," Deidara answered.

* * *

><p>Itachi gave Deidara the silence that meant get-the-hell-out-of-this-room-before-I-kill-you. Deidara got the hint, and left the living room. He almost bumped into Kisame while he was leaving, who was trying to enter the living room.<p>

"Yo, Itachi, Hinata, the leader-person-guy wants to see us," Kisame informed the two.

Kisame led Itachi and Hinata towards the meeting room. All three suspected that they were being called for a mission. After all, Pein had to be sure that Hinata was able to work well with her team in battle. Although the other teams weren't exactly cooperative... Pein just needed to know if Hinata was capable of carrying the missions he assigns.

The shark-man, Uchiha, and blind ex-Hyuuga entered the meeting room. Pein was standing next to the meeting table, with a light tannish-yellow file in his hands. Konan was next to him, reading a book that Sasori loaned her. He wasn't as creepy as she thought he was. Pein handed the file to Itachi.

* * *

><p>"The mission is to kill a group of four jounin from Sunagakure. The file that I've handed to Itachi contains the four's whereabouts, abilities, pictures, personalities, hobbies, etc.," Pein told the three.<p>

"Since Itachi and Hinata attract too much attention from their opposite gender, they will be posing as a married couple. Kisame will pretend to be their bodyguard," Pein added.

Obviously, Pein told them to pose as a married couple by Konan's request, to try to bring the two together. Kisame sniggered at the thought of Itachi and Hinata pretending to be married together. Itachi gave Pein the silence that meant I'll-kill-you-for-this-later. Hinata didn't like the idea, either.

* * *

><p>"I object," Hinata replied.<p>

"And why is that?" Pein questioned.

"I'm just not fond of the idea of screaming 'I'm sorry, please don't hurt me' and sobbing 'This marriage never had any _love_, only _hate_'. Nor am I in favor of incoherently mumbling into a corner 'Why did they force me into this?'," Hinata answered.

"..."

Konan looked up from the book she was reading, and stared at Hinata, almost in horror. There was a tense, awkward silence in the room. Hinata's idea of a married couple was quite horrible. The way she was raised must've been very disturbing.

"That's not what a married couple does..." Pein finally said.

"Tell that to Hiashi," Hinata responded.

Pein sighed. The Akatsuki base felt more like a mental hospital to him every day. Everyone was crazy, and they walked out crazier.

* * *

><p>"How about pretending to be fiancees?" Konan suggested.<p>

"Sure, I'm fine with staying silent, being afraid to be in the same building as the person I'm going to marry, and slowly going insane," Hinata told her.

"I think you've already hit insanity," Kisame commented.

Hinata thought for a while, considering Kisame's words. They were quite true, really. With the life Hinata had, it was difficult to maintain sanity.

"Yeah, I have," Hinata agreed.

"Hinata, have you ever heard of a married couple that love each other?" Pein asked.

"Ano... Like the one where the husband leaves, but comes back later and the wife is kinda paranoid and clingy?" Hinata questioned.

Pein sighed again. **How do I always end up with the nuts? **The Akatsuki leader decided to just cope with Hinata's idea of a happy married couple. It was as close to normal as she was going to get, though.

"...Yes, that one. Just please do not act like the abused wife... It'll attract too much attention," Pein instructed.

"Okay, Pein," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>Itachi, Hinata, and Kisame left the meeting room to get ready for the mission. As soon as the door closed behind them, Pein requested a bottle of water and Ibuprofen. Konan fetched the items for him, which were stored in a secret compartment in the wall for convenience.<p>

"Usually it's only Hidan that gives me headaches," Pein commented.

"It's not her fault. It's because she was raised by Hiashi Hyuuga," Konan replied.

**Hiashi is such a sadist. Blinding his daughter, abusing his wife, driving his children away from his house... I swear, he is just plain cruel. I'm the Akatsuki leader, and I find him cruel. What the hell is wrong with him?**

"Remind me to kill him later," the Akatsuki leader told her.

"Save that task for Hina-chan," Konan advised.

Pein nodded, and took a pill, followed by a gulp of water. He took a seat, trying to massage his temples. His head pounded more at the thought of Hidan influencing Hinata. Two people with Hidan's level of annoyance = twice the hell.

"Did you hear her? She called me 'Pein'," Pein recalled.

"And?" Konan questioned.

"She calls Itachi 'Itachi-sama'," Pein responded.

"You think she likes him?" Konan asked.

"Well, no, I was just kinda offended that she respects Itachi more than the Akatsuki leader," Pein answered.

He had a point there. Hidan was the only other person who didn't address Pein as "Leader-sama" or "Pein-sama", but he didn't use honorifics for anyone.

"That is so strange. She calls the others 'senpai'. I don't get why she doesn't call you 'Leader-sama'," Konan said.

Pein drank the rest of the water, and pondered over the reason Hinata doesn't call him "Leader-sama" or "Pein-sama". Konan pondered, too.

"Maybe she doesn't like you," Konan suggested.

It was possible that Hinata simply didn't like Pein. After all, she had defied him while he was assigning the mission. **Oh God, what if she turns out like Hidan? **The Akatsuki leader let his head rest on the meeting table. **I should pay more attention to who I recruit.**

* * *

><p>Itachi, Kisame, and Hinata were already on their way to complete the mission given to them. All three were wearing their Akatsuki cloak and a bamboo hat with strips of white cloth hanging down from it. The moonlight illuminated their surroundings, giving a soft, eerie glow to the three. None spoke a word, being too preoccupied in their own thoughts.<p>

"To which the dove speaks, the love reeks. Thy feather weathered by lies of thy ties. Thou shan't speak a word in fears of the bird," Hinata murmured softly.

"What?" Kisame questioned, not knowing what Hinata was mumbling about.

They crunched through leaves, momentarily distracting them from what Hinata was speaking of. Hinata let out a yawn before continuing.

"With moon red as blood, the bird drowns in flood. As it crosses the point of no return, the feather shall burn," the blind girl muttered.

"What the hell are you rambling on about?" Kisame asked.

"To which the dove speaks, the love reeks. May truth burn, may lies learn. Let thine ashes spread to the one next be dead."

Itachi thought for a second before finding an interpretation of Hinata's words.

"The dove talks about the couple's sins and the couple's love rots. The truth dissipates because of dishonest relationships filled with lies. The couple stays silent because they're afraid of what the dove will say because it speaks honestly," Itachi explained.

"During a bloody night, the dove drowns in lies and dies. The point of no return refers to death. The feather represents honesty and the honesty goes away with the death of the dove. Ashes are the remains of the truth, and the next person to have their honesty taken away will hear the story."

"Clever man. Do you know which couple?" Hinata asked.

The Uchiha pondered over the question. Surely she wasn't talking about herself and Itachi. Nor was she speaking of Konan and Pein.

"You and the Hyuuga prodigy," Itachi answered.

"It applies there, though that's not what I had in mind," Hinata replied.

"Ironic how the bird of peace and love brings word that results in death and lies," Kisame remarked.

"An honest messenger, I say. Isn't honesty supposed to be a trait that basks in the light?" Hinata responded.

"Not if it's a dark truth," Kisame denied.

"Dark truth is better than lies," Hinata stated.

The three continued walking down the dirt path they were on. The noises of crickets and owls filled the silence. They tried to keep their steps as silent as possible to not attract attention from ninjas that could be hiding in the forest around them.

* * *

><p>"Is it you and Itachi?" Kisame asked.<p>

"Give your explanation," Hinata told him.

"What the dove speaks is the rumors of you and Itachi being a couple. The story is messed up because of your friends making up things. You two don't have a real relationship because of the rumors. On a bloody night, the rumors die out. When the rumors die out, the messed up story dies too. The truth is what they believe and the lies are what you two say about the relationship because they think you're lying. The rumors will spread to people that will deny it," Kisame explained.

Hinata stayed silent for a few seconds before answering. A dramatic pause, you may call it.

"Yes," Hinata answered.

"So you want to have a relationship with Itachi?" Kisame interrogated.

"I wanted to make a fancy poem," Hinata told Kisame.

"And Itachi is your muse?"

"Reality is my muse."

* * *

><p>"What is it that makes you think that we'd have a real relationship if it weren't for the rumors?" Itachi questioned.<p>

"My _dear husband_, we all know that you would've kept me in your bed if it weren't for the spectators," Hinata replied.

She was using the same poisonous politeness that she used with Kurenai while she was waiting for Hiashi to arrive. Itachi didn't falter at it, using his own form of poisonous politeness against Hinata. Kisame only snickered at Hinata's reply.

"My _darling wife_, I do recall that it was you who crawled into my bed," Itachi responded in his monotone.

Hinata smiled, finally finding an opponent that could keep up with her. Kisame was very much amused at the two pretending to be husband and wife. They certainly do fight like a married couple.

"I believe that came after you came barging into the bathroom when I had naught but a towel on, _sweetheart_," Hinata mentioned.

"That's because you were asking for help, _darling_," Itachi reminded her.

"Yes, I do recall. You certainly did give the right kind of 'help', _koi_," Hinata hinted suggestively.

"A part of the reason why we got married, _my dear_," Itachi stated.

Kisame was impressed with Hinata and Itachi. They were really good at acting. If he hadn't known better, he would've mistaken them for a real married couple. It was amazing how they could act so out of character, yet appear as they had been that character their entire life. For another while, the three became silent and focused on their walking.

* * *

><p>"<em>Dear husband<em>, who exactly are we up against?" Hinata questioned.

"Two skilled sword wielders, one genjutsu specialist, and one taijutsu master," Itachi answered.

"I'll go against the sword wielders, you handle the genjutsu specialist, and Hinata takes on the taijutsu master?" Kisame predicted.

"Or I can take on the sword wielders, you can handle the genjutsu specialist, and my _darling husband_ will take on the taijutsu master," Hinata told Kisame.

The Uchiha shrugged, and decided to go along with it. He didn't have a problem with Hinata's decision. Kisame, though, felt a bit distraught at having to battle a genjutsu specialist.

"Wouldn't it be easier to fight against the one with the talent that we specialize in?" Kisame questioned.

"Is genjutsu your weak spot?" Hinata curiously asked.

"That's _none of your business_," Kisame snarled.

Kisame clenched his fist. It was like Hinata had been trying to manipulate him into revealing his weakness. Itachi was a bit surprised that Hinata was able to find Kisame's weak spot. The trio continued their walk, ceasing their talk. It was a while before Hinata finally broke the tense silence.

"Well, is it?" Hinata repeated.

"I don't mean to be rude, I just need to know if we're going to be on a team together," Hinata said.

Kisame refused to answer Hinata's question. Itachi decided that it wouldn't be harmful, since Hinata already had a hunch.

"It is. We were paired to cover each other's weaknesses," Itachi answered.

Kisame muttered a curse at Itachi, damning the Uchiha.

"That will be useful to Mizukage-sama..." Hinata muttered.

"The Mizukage?" Kisame questioned, his suspicions aroused.

"Relax, I'm only joking," Hinata assured him.

* * *

><p>The sword wielder calmed down. Itachi knew she was only kidding, since it'd be foolish to mutter something like that out loud. There was a faint rustle in the bushes to their right side. Kisame and Itachi stopped the walk, though Hinata continued to walk forward, oblivious to the rustle.<p>

"Hinata," Itachi said.

"At ease, soldier. In times of peace, war is trouble. In times of war, peace is trouble," Hinata replied.

"The enemy can spy, the enemy can die. Our allies shall dare to stay aware. Keep holding up that flag until it becomes naught but a rag," Hinata told the two.

Hinata's riddling words flustered Kisame.

"What in the Gods' names is she rambling on about, now?" Kisame questioned the Uchiha.

The blind girl suddenly halted her feet. She grabbed three shuriken from the weapons pouch hidden in the folds of her kimono. One was thrown into the branches of a tree to her right, another to a bush below the tree, and the last thrown directly at the tree trunk. The third shuriken revealed itself to be a kunai with an explosive tag, which detonated five seconds after it hit its target. It was a rather small explosion, though enough to make two scramble out of hiding.

The two were both wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and a large purple rope tied around their waists. One had short, dark green hair that reached his shoulders while the other had long, white hair with a tint of lavender, that was put into a long braid that reached his lower back, above his waist. The two got into a fighting stance.

"I'm sleepy, tired, and my husband is horny. Make this quick, please," Hinata requested.

"I'm anything but _that_, my wife," the fake husband denied.

"I _would_ change that, but I'm sleepy and tired," the pretend wife replied.

"We're subordinates of the great Orochimaru-sama, here to gather information on the Moon-Eyed Goddess," the one with the braid announced.

* * *

><p>Kisame started to laugh at Hinata's gaudy title. Itachi and Hinata both let out an irritated sigh.<p>

"Paparazzi..." Hinata muttered.

"Now I'm sleepy, tired, annoyed, and my husband _isn't _horny," Hinata told the subordinates.

"I hate the color orange, I like cinnamon buns, my boss annoys me, and my favorite color is scarlet," Hinata listed.

The two underlings of the Snake Sannin got out of their fighting stance. The man with the green hair got out a pen and notebook, and started to write down this information. Hinata gave the man time to write it all down.

"And I do _not_ have a relationship with Itachi Uchiha. This husband-and-wife thing is just an act to drive away fangirls and fanboys. You might want to underline that," Hinata said.

The green-haired man wrote this down, muttering "_no_ relationship with Itachi" while doing so. He underlined that sentence, since he thought it was important.

"What about the Shinigami?" the man with the braid questioned.

"No, we're just friends. I'm not with Neji, either. I'm single and up for grabs," the Moon-Eyed Goddess responded.

"Oh hey, do you know Sasuke Uchiha? Survivor of Uchiha Clan Massacre, guy who wants to kill his older brother, joined Orochimaru's side to gain power, that guy?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes, he's Orochimaru-sama's _favorite_," answered the man with the braid, filling poison into the word favorite.

"Tell him I said hi," Hinata said.

The subordinates were expecting something more than just "hi", but they only shrugged it off.

"Anything you want to tell him, Itachi-sama?" the ex-Hyuuga asked.

"He's a weak, worthless, piece of scum. I have nothing to tell him," the Uchiha answered.

"The sad part is that he's a million times nicer to Sasuke than Hiashi was to me," Hinata stated.

Kisame was just amazed at Hiashi. If that was nothing to Hinata, then Kisame did not want to meet Hiashi. **Hiashi must be a really evil bastard. **

"Wow, that's pretty horrible," remarked the man with the green hair.

He made a note of that on the paper he was writing on. "Hiashi Hyuuga = a million times more of a bastard than Itachi Uchiha" he wrote.

"Now that you know this information, you're going to have to die," Hinata calmly told the two.

* * *

><p>There was another silence. Nobody said anything for a while, as if still processing the words through their minds. Hinata declared those words as if she was just saying "Now that our dinner is done, we're going to go eat". The way she easily mentioned their upcoming death was quite frightening, implying that she's comfortable with the death of others. She was an S-rank criminal, after all.<p>

"I'm serious," Hinata grimly warned them.

With that, the two subordinates of Orochimaru fled from the Akatsuki members. Kisame stood there, impressed by the blind girl's feat. Itachi and Hinata continued the journey. Kisame soon caught up as soon as he realized they were going to leave him behind if he didn't hurry.

* * *

><p>The three passed through pitch-black, so it didn't matter if one had working eyes or not. Their vision was quite the same, be it one way or another. They didn't talk or think, only walked. Almost as if it was instinct to keep moving forward. What would be the point of going back now?<p>

The blind girl's body temperature began to rise. She unzipped her cloak, and started to fan herself with her bamboo hat. Her comrades heeded this, but continued the journey. It was a cold night, and why Hinata decided to create wind to cool herself slipped their minds. Hinata's speed slowly decreased, struggling to keep up with her team.

The team of three walked out of the dark shadows of the forest and into a moonlit dirt path. There was a beautiful lake yonder the right, untouched by the dirt of mankind. It showed a reflection of the crescent moon that wavered in its image. Hinata loosened her kimono, exposing some of her chest. There was a tinge of blush on her face from her feverish heat. Kisame soon noticed this, and decided to inform Itachi.

* * *

><p>"I think she's trying to seduce you," Kisame whispered to Itachi.<p>

Kisame nudged Itachi, giving him notice of Hinata's current appearance. The way the moon shined on Hinata gave her an elegant glow. She surely wasn't named the Moon-Eyed Goddess for nothing. Hinata didn't seem to have heard Kisame's talk over the waving of her hat.

"Pretty hot," the shark-man commented.

**Hot? **Itachi took a glance at his female teammate. He gave a slight nod to Kisame in agreement. **Yes, she certainly does hold true to the name "Moon-Eyed Goddess". Though the definition of hot may be taken otherwise...**

"Hinata, do you have a fever?" Itachi questioned.

"Not what I meant," Kisame stated.

Kisame smirked. **Heh, so the Uchiha is too innocent to know of Hinata's intentions. This'll certainly turn out to be an amusing mission.**

"Yes," Hinata answered.

Itachi glanced at Kisame, as if telling him "I told you so, you dirty-minded bastard".

"I didn't know," Kisame responded.

* * *

><p>The Uchiha glanced back at Hinata. Her breathing was becoming raspy, as if it hurt to continue breathing. Nevertheless, Hinata continued to keep moving forward. It was inspirational, though at this rate, Hinata would collapse.<p>

"Do you want to rest?" asked the Uchiha.

"The enemy can spy, the enemy can die. Our allies shall dare to stay aware. Keep holding up that flag until it becomes naught but a rag," Hinata repeated.

Kisame thought about the meaning of Hinata's rhymes. He reasoned that the third sentence was talking about pushing yourself until you become unable to move. A situation that happens to be happening right at that moment.

"I think she predicted the future," Kisame said to Itachi.

"No, I don't want to rest. I'll keep forward until I meet the earth," answered Hinata.

Almost by instinct, Kisame and Itachi glanced at each other. The two nodded, silently approving of Hinata's actions. Kisame, Itachi, and Hinata continued the journey. Though it took a while, Hinata was finally able to just barely catch up to her teammates. Her temperature was still scorching, though the cool of the night and the fan of her hat helped make sure she didn't melt.

When the moon was high in the sky, the three Akatsuki members were mostly sleepwalking. Itachi was the most conscious, leading the other two in the right direction. He was the one who turned Hinata around before she walked into a tree. **She really **_**would**_** be lost if it weren't for me... **Kisame and Itachi both jolted awake once they heard Hinata's coughs.

* * *

><p>The coughs were loud and violent, as if trying to rip Hinata's throat apart. She stopped walking, and dropped her hat on the dusty path. Hinata continued to cough, appearing to be close to collapsing. Itachi held Hinata before she did, and then the coughing calmed, and then ceased. It was almost as if Itachi was the cure for Hinata's disease.<p>

Hinata's eyes turned red. Kisame and Itachi thought they were hallucinating when they stared into her red eyes. Kisame assumed that he had just seen too much of Itachi's Sharingan, and Itachi thought he was just being reminded of how strangely similar Hinata was to Sasuke. With her red eyes, Hinata looked at a tree branch.

"The owl stares," Hinata mumbled.

Itachi and Kisame glanced at the tree branch that Hinata was looking at. Much to their surprise, Hinata was right about the owl. Itachi and Kisame then glanced at each other, silently asking the other how Hinata was able to see the owl.

"Hinata, what did you just see?" Itachi questioned.

"Darkness... Suffocating darkness," Hinata answered, her voice almost mute.

"No, you said you saw an owl," the Uchiha replied.

"A figment of my twisted imagination, trying to taunt me for being blind. The owl is probably symbolism for the wisdom I can't see. Perhaps it's a reference of how I linger in darkness, or mockery of my eyesight, as an owl has exceptionally good eyes," Hinata reasoned.

Hinata was completely convinced that she went crazy. As much as she wanted the owl she saw to be real, it couldn't be.** Trapped in darkness. Shunned by the light. I'm blind. I have no sight. **

"What the hell? No, the owl was real," Kisame told her.

"W...what?" Hinata questioned.

* * *

><p><strong>Review or else I might just quit the story altogether. I'm evil like that. <strong>

**[Just a note: chapters 2-12 have been edited for their formatting and minor things. I got tired of putting that little note at the bottom, so I'll just put this here. It's not like you care, anyway. :P]**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so sorry! I kept editing, and editing, and editing... Just be happy that it's not super short, okay?**

* * *

><p>"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, there's something that Hinata wanted me to tell you when she was at the ransom exchange," Kurenai told her two remaining students, her tone dead serious.<p>

The Hinata Retrieval Team stopped in their path, all wanting to listen to the words that Kurenai was going to say. Kiba and Shino felt uneasy about this, feeling anxious about whatever their sensei was going to say. **Is it that she's sorry? She hates us? She never wants to come back? She misses us? We were the worst teammates ever? **Shino and Kiba were both visibly troubled by their thoughts. Kakashi grinned underneath his mask, looking forward to seeing the two's reaction. Naruto and Sakura had no idea why their sensei looked so eager.

"She wanted to say hi," Kurenai informed Kiba and Shino, her tone grim.

"Eh?!" everyone but Kurenai, Kakashi, and Sai questioned.

They were all perplexed at why Hinata would only want to say hi after all that has happened to her. She was blinded, left the village, joined the Akatsuki, nobody noticed she was gone until now, and all she wanted to say was "Hi". It just didn't make sense to them.

Kurenai let a small smile make its way onto her crimson lips. Kakashi chuckled at their reaction. **It amazes me how she was able to keep a straight face... **

"Hi? That's it? Isn't there anything more?" Kiba questioned.

"No, that's all she wanted to say to you two," Kurenai answered.

Akamaru tilted his head in confusion, also wondering why Hinata would only want to say hi. Shikamaru only shrugged, glad that she didn't want to say anything too troublesome for their already growing guilt. Sai started to search in one of his books about what it means when someone wants to say hi.

"'When someone says hi to you, it means that the person acknowledges your presence, and wants to inform you of his/her existence.' In this case, that might not be a good thing for you two," Sai said.

Kiba and Shino tensed up, becoming afraid of what Hinata will do to them. Since Neji was no problem for her, it made them worry what she could do to them. Her knowledge of their fighting styles and weaknesses worried them all. Shikamaru began to get concerned over Sai's words, too.

Kakashi was grinning under his mask, while Kurenai fought back fits of laughter. It was just so hilarious how much they reacted to something so simple as "Hi." The situation turned out exactly as Hinata predicted it would.

"Let's just forget about it. It probably means nothing," Kiba told everyone.

**She wants to inform us of her existence... We forgot about her. We hurt her. We drove her away. We made an innocent, pure girl become tainted and evil. **The team continued walking, but they couldn't just forget about it. Hinata had countless advantages over them. If she decided to want revenge on them, then she'd probably be able to succeed. She was already succeeding in her plans of the Hyuuga clan's downfall.

"What did Hinata say at the ransom exchange?" Kiba questioned.

"She found good friends, she doesn't want to come back, she was a bit disappointed that Neji and someone she doesn't even know are the only ones who want to bring her back, she finds it disturbing that her cousin is in love with her, and that she's not happy that she left the village and nobody noticed until she became a threat," Kurenai listed.

"And apparently, Hinata has some kind of relationship with Itachi Uchiha," Kakashi added.

The group (excluding Sai, Kakashi, and Kurenai) gaped in disbelief. It was so out of the blue, yet it made so much sense. That must've been how Hinata joined. The two had so much in common, too.

"Yet another reason why she wouldn't want to date you, Captain Neji," Sai stated with his obnoxious grin.

Neji gave a cold glare to the teenage ANBU member. **He even gives off an annoying aura. **He was so right, though. How could he compete with Itachi Uchiha?

"H-hinata... Sh-sh-she..." Kiba stuttered.

"THE MURDERER OF THE UCHIHA CLAN FUCKED HINATA?!" Naruto blurted out.

Sakura clamped a hand over her right ear. **One of these days, I'm going to go deaf... **She punched Naruto's shoulder with great force in annoyance. There would surely be a bruise there in the morning.

"There are more decent ways to phrase it, moron!" Sakura reprimanded him.

"Owww..." Naruto moaned in pain, rubbing his shoulder.

"No, they didn't go through nature's process of reproduction together," Kakashi answered.

"She said that she planned on marrying before... 'going through nature's process of reproduction,'" Kurenai assured them.

A majority of the group sighed in relief. If she really did sleep with Itachi, then Sasuke wouldn't be the only one whose life goal is to kill him.

"Hinata was in the shower, got out, slipped, a vase shattered, and the vase cut her leg. Itachi offered help, and she accepted. She trusts him enough to let him help her while she's in nothing but a towel," the red-eyed kunoichi explained.

"I wonder what kind of 'help' he gave her," Sai said.

Kiba stomped on Sai's foot in anger. He didn't want to imagine Itachi and Hinata having a relationship. It was just so... _weird_. "My teammate is helping a murderer restore the Uchiha clan." He always imagined that she'd hook up with Naruto, so this was completely unexpected. Naruto and Itachi were complete opposites.

"Perverted asshole!" Kiba hissed.

"That's a symptom of jealousy that I've read about. Do you happen to want to go through 'nature's process of reproduction' with Hinata, too?" Sai retorted.

Kiba was more than ready to strangle Sai to death. With quick reflexes, Shikamaru restrained Kiba with his shadow jutsu to prevent a troublesome fight from happening. The jutsu was unable to restrain Kiba's mouth from muttering curses under his breath, though.

"Is she still the same person we used to know?" Shino asked, ignoring his teammate's rash action.

"She's grown more confident–"

"_A lot_ more confident. Cocky, even. And scary. You could feel her aura trying to tear your guts out. While we were interrogating her, she dodged each question skillfully, and even got some information out of us. She's able to find your weak spot, and toy with it. She_ definitely_ belongs in the Akatsuki," the silver-haired jounin exaggerated.

Kurenai gave Kakashi a weird look, wondering what the hell he was doing. Kakashi nodded at Kurenai, beckoning her to play along.

"Oh yes. Very intelligent, too. She was able to figure out that the first suitcase of money that Hiashi offered her was a fake. Right, Neji-kun?" Kurenai said, wanting to include Neji in their little scheme.

Neji picked up on their hints right away. He nodded gravely.

"Yes... Also very manipulative."

"And her aura practically chokes you."

The three jounins nodded at each other in agreement. It was a bit, no, _very_ dramatized, but it was still partly true. Sure, they left out how Hinata and Hidan were joking around for most of the meeting, but the Chuunins, genin, and ANBU member didn't need to know that.

"She might even be more powerful than Sasuke, judging by her chakra level," the genjutsu specialist overestimated.

"It was about a million times larger than Naruto's chakra," Kakashi added.

Naruto stiffened at this false account of Hinata's strength. **She's gotten so strong even though she... has a disability... **He wasn't able to admit to himself that Hinata was blind. It'd hurt too much if he confessed that Hinata was blinded and he did nothing to help. **I'm in denial! Hinata is **_**blind**_**. **_**Blind, blind blind**_**. I have to accept the truth. **

**How long has she been gone, anyway? **He thought about the last time he saw her. He figured that she must've left while he was on his journey with Jiraiya, since he remembered seeing her before he left the village. **A few months, probably. I mean, she couldn't have been gone for four years without anyone noticing. **

"Come on, let's get moving," Shikamaru suggested.

The team continued to walk. They hadn't even realized that they stopped again. The individuals began to doubt their strength, since Sasuke was already too strong for them. Someone stronger than Sasuke would be impossible to fight.

A voice inside of Shikamaru's head suddenly scolded him for such cowardly thoughts. It strangely sounded like his dominating mother. _**"No son of mine is going to be a chicken! Use your head!" **_He cringed at the yelling in his brain. She certainly gave him a piece of her mind that day. **Gah... She's right, though. Maybe I should start listening to her more. Eh, too troublesome... **

"What's Hinata's fighting style, Neji?" Shikamaru questioned.

Neji began to think about his two encounters with Hinata. The first, she was using the Strong Fist, the second, the Gentle Fist. Those two sessions contrasted each other deeply. What didn't change was her cutting coldness.

"She uses taijutsu and weapons. She's still able to use the Gentle Fist fighting style even though she's blind, and has shown great ability in the use of the Strong Fist. She can do well at long-range and short-range," Neji answered.

"Long-range? How?" Sakura questioned.

"I don't know, but she's really accurate," Neji replied.

"How is she able to use the Gentle Fist if she's blind, Captain Neji?" Sai asked.

"I don't know."

"How is she accurate when she's blind?" Naruto questioned.

"I don't know."

Shikamaru let out a sigh.

"Looks like we don't know anything about her..." Shikamaru observed.

The shadow user tried to mold the known information into a plan. If she did well at both long and short range, fighting her would be a pain in the ass. **Is she really blind? How troublesome. **Any weaknesses she had before must've been eliminated during training in the Akatsuki. Outsmarting her would prove to be a challenge.

"She's very sensitive about her blindness. She threatened to kill someone when a girl told her to turn a 'blind eye' to the fact that Neji was her cousin because he loved her," Kurenai added.

"She lost her temper over that?" Naruto questioned, surprised.

The Hinata he knew never lost her temper. Or threatened to kill anyone. Or was an S-rank criminal. Maybe he didn't know Hinata, after all.

"No, she didn't lose her temper. She threw a table knife at the girl's head, just barely missing her, smiled, and then threatened to kill her," Kurenai responded.

"She was awfully intimidating," Kakashi stated.

They didn't even have to lie about that part. Hinata could be menacing when she wanted to. It was almost laughable that the shy little girl they used to know scared the shit out of them today.

"She was probably just pissed that the girl suggested that she hooked up with her ugly fat-ass cousin," Sai reasoned.

Cue the smacking.

* * *

><p>The group was near their first stop, a small hot spring village between the borders of the Land of Fire and the River Country. The Hokage informed the other Kage about the Akatsuki's plans of visiting a hot springs. The team was currently visiting all the hot spring villages that were in between borders. The plan was to visit the village, reload on supplies, tell them about the Akatsuki, look at the prices of the hot spring, and leave if the prices didn't match. A major problem would be if more than one hot springs had the same price.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ano... So you're saying that I'm not blind?" Hinata summarized.<p>

"No, you're blind," Itachi replied.

"Explain again, please?" Hinata requested.

This was hard for Hinata to understand. She had just accepted being blind, and now she might not be blind. Kisame was more accepting, since crazier things have happened, but Itachi was a bit skeptical of his theory. It was the only thing that made sense at the moment, though.

"Hidan's observation of you turning into an Uchiha was correct," Itachi told her.

Now Kisame was confused. Hidan being right was like saying the sky was purple with pink polka dots. It _wasn't_ right.

"There's a myth about the Sharingan coming from the Byakugan and vice versa. You get the Sharingan from a lot of trauma and stress. You had the Byakugan, went through trauma, and started to develop the Sharingan. When you were blinded, the Byakugan was sealed away, but not the Sharingan, and now it is fighting away your blindness."

"We'll get Sasori to diagnose you later."

Hinata slowly nodded and became silent, pondering Itachi's words. **The Sharingan... **She continued to fan herself with her hat, still her body temperature was still high. Itachi snatched the hat from her.

"Fan the flame to make it hotter," Itachi stated.

Kisame rolled his eyes. **Another Uchiha motto? She's not really an Uchiha, you know.**

"...You think I'm hot?"

"Yes, I think you're very hot."

Itachi was being honest about the definition of hot in two ways; as in, temperature-wise and beauty-wise. His opinion of her beauty has been positive ever since he first saw her. Kisame was surprised at Itachi taking an interest in Hinata, though he wasn't sure if Itachi only meant temperature-wise or not.

Hinata's face became redder at the comment from Itachi. She _kinda_ liked him... It wasn't exactly a crush, but it was a consideration. But there'd be no way in hell that she'd ever have the courage to tell him. Even though she matured, she was still the shy little girl that she was years ago.

She certainly did_ feel_ hot, though; temperature-wise, of course. She felt like she was baking in an oven, and being blind only intensified the sensation. Hinata took her cloak off, holding it in her arms. **That feels better, but I'm still hot. And nauseous. And dizzy. And my head hurts. **

"Ano... So you wanna fan me, then?" Hinata suggested shyly.

"No," Itachi denied in a flat tone.

"O... onegai?"

Itachi found the way she begged and blushed cute. A more perverted side of him was turned on by it. He looked up at the owl that Hinata claimed to have seen. Her description of the bird was completely correct.

"No. You can just rest."

**The Sharingan... That means... **She bit her lip, not wanting to move to_ that _topic. There wasn't even much to talk about. Only a handful of people knew.

Hinata straightened herself, trying to cope with her symptoms as well as possible. Shinobi can't let trivial matters such as a small fever slow them down.

"I'm fine. Let's just keep going," Hinata urged.

Itachi glanced at his student. Her health always was a tricky situation. She looked as fragile as glass, but at the same time, she was stronger than concrete. To persevere with such obstacles ahead of her and disabilities trying to hold her back... Though if she kept pushing herself like this, she might shatter.

Kisame merely shrugged, resuming the journey. If she said she was fine, then she was probably fine. Or at least acting like she was fine. Either way, that woman was stubborn.

* * *

><p>Itachi followed the swordsman, with Hinata following his example as soon as she realized they were moving on. Sheer willpower was the only thing that prevented her from fainting. However, even the sturdiest rock crumbled at one point. Malicious coughs took control of Hinata's body, forcing her to fall to her knees.<p>

Itachi and Kisame were only able to give a concerned stare, completely helpless. They were trained to end lives, not save them. The coughs ceased after a few hell-filled minutes. Hinata wiped the familiar liquid of blood away from her mouth with her right sleeve.

"Kisame, get some water. Hinata, lay down. You need some rest," Itachi ordered sternly.

Kisame nodded, and summoned the water jug from a scroll. It was mainly to gather water for missions, but he also had the notion that it could be used as a weapon one day. Itachi replied by saying that they already have weapons, and they need water more than weapons. Kisame shrugged, saying that one day the water jug will save them in battle.

Hinata swallowed her pride and laid on the grass. That Uchiha wasn't going to take no for an answer. Itachi placed the back of his hand on Hinata's forehead, and pulled away after he realized she was _literally_ hotter than fire. That is not a good sign.

"You're burning up."

"You shouldn't push yourself like that, it's dangerous."

"I-I'm sorry..."

A stutter. Either her confidence was degrading, or her throat still felt like hell after that horrendous coughing fit. Itachi reasoned that it must be both, considering the disappointed look in her eyes. Her eyes always told the truth when the rest of her body was lying.

"You're not a burden, Hinata."

She only remained silent. She rolled over on her side, her back facing the Uchiha.

He already knew that she was crying.

* * *

><p>The Hinata Retrieval Team was at the entrance of their first stop. Kurenai was buying some supplies and Kakashi was asking the owner of the hot springs about their prices, and asking about the Akatsuki. Shino sent his insects out to search for Hinata outside the village, while Kiba and Akamaru were focusing on her distinct lavender scent.<p>

Now that he thought about it, her scent was sorta strange. It wasn't perfume, since he'd become nauseous. Did she hang around in a garden? Was it soap? Or shampoo? He wasn't really complaining, but still...

**Hinata... **Naruto was edgy and had the urge to summon a thousand clones to help them search. They _had_ to find her. This was a golden opportunity. Everyone kept telling him to stay calm, but he just _couldn't_.

Is she alright? Scared? Lonely? Abandoned? She was so fragile. It was just amazing how she was able to endure everything she's been through. Hinata was probably the strongest person he knew.

"Isn't it kinda weird how Hinata just dropped those hints? What if this is a trap?" Sakura questioned.

"It's the only lead we have, so we'll just have to take a chance," Shikamaru answered.

The blonde boy became agitated. The Akatsuki could just be luring them to capture the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails, a.k.a, Naruto Uzumaki. If Hinata really _did _purposely lead them, then she really _is_ past the point of no return. They really couldn't bring her back because she had become too corrupted.

_Just like Sasuke. _

**She's not like Sasuke! She's... She's different! They're different people! **He fought desperately to prevent himself from comparing and contrasting the two with each other. It was _inevitable_, though. They both left, they're both from powerful noble clans, they both sought revenge... They had _so much_ in common.

"Or this could just be a distraction," Naruto suggested out of the blue.

Hopefully it was. In the best case scenario, it could be.

"What was Hinata-san like?" Sai asked Naruto.

He already asked Neji, but a few more opinions would help get a more clear view of who she really was. Neji probably exaggerated. Sai learned that people in love usually did that with their crushes. He was taught that it was a flaw.

Naruto scratched his head.

"Really nice... She was always really shy and quiet," he answered.

* * *

><p><em>"It's always the quiet ones that try to take over the world," Iruka joked with a chuckle. <em>

_They were talking about the quiet people in Naruto's class over ramen. Naruto happily slurped up noodles. _

_"I better watch out for Hinata, then, dattebayo!"_

_They shared a heart laugh. Everyone knew that she was as harmless as a fly. _

How wrong they were...

* * *

><p>Naruto shook that random moment away.<p>

"Always fainted around Naruto. She had this really huge crush on him. The idiot never noticed," Kiba added with a snicker.

Naruto's eyes were cast downwards. Memories of Hinata fainting and blushing around him flashed into his mind. He could have helped her. She would've listened. She would've never left.

"Yeah, she was real quiet. She was the least troublesome woman I knew..." Shikamaru recalled.

"And what are you implying by_ that_?" Sakura snapped with an itching, clenched fist.

"N-nothing!" Shikamaru answered, his hands held up in surrender.

**Troublesome woman... **The pink-haired kunoichi gave him one last glare before contributing to the description of their friend. Or ex-friend. No, no, she was still their friend...

"She always smiled a lot... Kinda anti-social, barely showed up to any parties or very little in conversations."

Damn, the signs were all around them.

"She was never very confident, timid, empathetic, and polite. Why? Because her father abused her. To impress Naruto, she grew more confident and strived to grow stronger. Why? Because she had an attraction towards him. She usually thought before she acted. Why? Because she's not hotheaded, unlike Kiba. She worked very well with her teammates, and was the closest to Kurenai-sensei. Her blood type is A, her height was 148.3 centimeters, her weight was 38.2 kilograms, she had many nervous habits such as playing with her fingers or the zipper on her jacket, her hobby was flower pressing, her favorite foods included zenzai and cinnamon rolls–"

"Too much information, dude!" Kiba interrupted.

"You need to get to know your friends if you want to be friends with them," Shino advised darkly.

Kiba backed off, creeped out by his teammate. He had that menacing aura around him, again. Surprisingly, Sai was writing all of this down. **They try **_**way**_** too hard.**

"And her breast size?" Sai questioned.

"_Shannaro_!" Sakura cried as she punched Sai to the ground.

**Freaking**_** pervert! **_Sakura seethed with fury. Thatbastard never thought before speaking. Sai laid on the ground, holding the right side of his face.

"Ah, I get it. You must be jealous because you're a hideous, flat-chested–"

"_Shannaro!_"

* * *

><p>"Did you help her?" Sai questioned.<p>

The heavy silence only continued. Sai's question was a great burden on their shoulders. They didn't want to admit their faults. Surely it had to be someone else's mistake, right? Hiashi was the one who blinded her, abused her, and banished her, not them. He was going to be their scapegoat.

No, him and Itachi. He must've tempted Hinata with power that way she could carry out her revenge. It was also his fault that Sasuke left. Yes, everything had to be _his_ fault, not _theirs_.

But the question rang in their head, like an irritating bell. _Did you help her?_

"N... no," Sakura managed to choke out.

"Why not? Did Hinata-san not deserve help? Did you hate her?" asked Sai curiously.

He knew a thousand shinobi's fighting styles, appearances, hobbies, and other information. What he didn't know was _why_. All he ever did was look at the surface of the lake. He was never taught to actually feel the water, or to step in it. He was taught that he would drown if he created even just a small ripple.

But here he was, in front of these people who created more than a ripple. These people who created crashing waves. It always intrigued him. Without learning what these "emotions" and "bonds" were, he'd feel like a fish out of water.

"I was an idiot for hating Hinata just because she was in the main branch of the Hyuuga clan," Neji admitted.

Hinata was a cruel reminder of their ignorance, their mistakes. What could've been, and what wasn't. But even though they didn't know her, they knew of her pain, her history, her _sight_... Hinata was their comrade. That was why they were bringing her back.

"What about you, Naruto-kun?" Sai questioned.

"I... don't know. I never paid attention to her," Naruto replied.

"So Sasuke-kun deserved help more than Hinata-san?" Sai asked, starting to understand a little.

"No, they both deserved help," Naruto answered.

"Really? Because you people seem like you'd rather help Sasuke-kun instead of Hinata-san," Sai responded.

Sakura clenched her fist, and she looked like she was about to send Sai flying all the way back to Konoha. Naruto caught notice of this.

"Sakura-chan, calm down," Naruto told his teammate.

Sakura unclenched her fist, and looked down at the ground. Dots where water hit were starting to darken the ground. It was starting to rain. No, the sky was completely clear. Sakura was crying. **This is all I can do. I can only cry and be weak. I can't bring Sasuke back, and I probably won't be able to bring Hinata back, either. History is repeating itself... This horrible torture... Over and over again...**

Sakura covered her face with her gloved hands. She sobbed as hard as she could, trying to relieve all the frustration and sadness swirling in her stomach, like a furious tornado. The others wanted to join Sakura, too. They wanted to sob for all the sins they've committed, for all the guilt that they brought upon themselves, the enemies they were ordered to kill, the things they couldn't do, and the promises they couldn't keep. It'd just be so easy to just cry and give up, wouldn't it?

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whimpered.

"Sakura-chan, this _isn't_ about Sasuke," Naruto reminded her.

"_Shut up!_ Just _shut up!_ It's Sasuke all over again! We couldn't bring him back, and we probably can't even bring Hinata back, either!" Sakura screamed at the blonde.

For a while, the only sounds were Sakura's sobs and the wind. There was a bold contrast between the yelling and the silence, defining the everlasting confusion and sorrow. All they could do was watch Sakura's pain, and remind themselves about the pain that Hinata went through when they weren't looking. And they weren't looking most of the time.

"Don't sulk and let your guilt and pain take over. Do something about it," Neji firmly advised Sakura.

Sakura and Neji had something in common: they were both in love with a traitor, abandoned by the traitor after confessing, and the traitor didn't love them back. **Love is so twisted and evil, yet it's the best thing that happened to me.**

* * *

><p>Kisame strolled back to his teammates with the water jug. He spilled about a third of the water on the way, but he was sure they wouldn't notice. Or point it out, at least. He was the one who got it, so they should be grateful.<p>

Kisame handed the water jug to her, and she took a long drink out of it. The water moistened her dry, aching throat. **That feels so much better.**

Her eyes looked red. Not Sharingan-red; more like crying-my-face-off-red. Was she crying?

No, of course she wasn't crying. Her eyes probably stung or something because of the Sharingan. Like how Itachi's eyes bled after using the Mangekyou. He must've been _pissed_ when he found out that he attempted using Tsukuyomi on a blind person.

"What are you laughing at?" Hinata questioned, her voice cracking a bit.

Oh, was he laughing? He hadn't even noticed.

Shit, Itachi might kill him if he told her his reason. It was just _hilarious_, though. He used it on a blind person, and now he's a blind person. The irony...

"Nothing."

* * *

><p>The three Akatsuki members continued their journey. Hinata was able to walk alongside her teammates, despite her fever. Both Kisame and Itachi were impressed at Hinata for being able to withstand the fever without a complaint.<p>

She tried her very best to not faint or lose balance. Her mind felt like it was spinning. She hid her symptoms as well as possible. It was difficult, since every step felt like a mile to her. **Maybe I should've rested longer.**

The sun was rising, ending the night and Hinata's shivers. The rose-pink light illuminated the vast fields, giving it a soft golden glow. The stunning landscape almost made Itachi and Kisame glad that their organization's name meant dawn.

The Akatsuki members were nearing the village where their targets were supposed to be at. It was named the Village of Fields, though humorously referred to as the Village Hidden in Plain Sight by the locals. Its location was very blunt in the vast grass fields it was surrounded by. The Village of Fields was mostly a village of farmers and traders, with not much ninja business there.

The village was surrounded by a large brick wall, with four arches located at north, south, east, and west. Over the wall, a grand building was visible. That building was used for important dinner parties, and was a landmark. Many famous treaties and meetings were held in that building, making the village a vital place to maintain. Thanks to this, the Village of Fields had good alliances with shinobi villages.

According to the information in the file, the four jounins were at the Village of Fields to find and arrest an S-rank missing-nin from the Grass that had been raping and murdering young women. He would attack his victims during both day and night, giving the citizens great peril. The streets of the Village of Fields were mostly empty, save for the armed men who ventured out of their homes to stock up on food. The rapist was scaring away tourists and merchants, which endangered the economy of the village.

* * *

><p>"Are we really going to do that whole act where the husband leaves the wife?" Kisame questioned.<p>

Hinata cracked a smile. She was sure that Pein's reaction to her definition of a husband and wife was hilarious.

"Nah, I was just messing with Pein. Are we really going to act like a married couple and their bodyguard, though?" Hinata replied.

Itachi analyzed the situation, trying to reason whether the act was worth it or not. He really didn't want to keep turning down girls left and right. Even though he was gentle, they still cried sometimes. Those tears always made him wince. Or was it the memories?

Being Hinata's husband wouldn't be that bad. She's intelligent, beautiful, generous, funny, and strong. She even reminded him of _her_. **No, I can't compare Hinata to **_**her**_**...**

Overall, it was for the best. It was just an act, nothing more, nothing less. After the mission, the two would have no kind of romantic relationship whatsoever. It was make-believe, fake, a fantasy... but also a taste of what it'd be like to actually _have_ a relationship with her. That didn't matter, though.

"Yes," the Uchiha answered.

"Well, I guess I'll be Masami. Kisame-senpai can be Kyo. You can be..."

"...Satoshi," she finished.

Itachi almost thought that the pause she took was one of memories. She wanted to say someone else's name, didn't she?

To replace a lost loved one.

To pretend that person was still alive, still next to her.

To act like she actually had the ability to love.

Or she could just be thinking of a good name... Itachi made simple things too complicated, sometimes. Perhaps_ he's_ the one who wants to replace someone.

* * *

><p>A realization suddenly struck the Akatsuki leader as he looked at the files of Team Mortal's (as everyone in the Akatsuki base liked to call them since their team consisted of only mortals) mission success rate. Every mission was stamped as a success, but the group never completed the objective. Instead, they always brought back information. The information was useful, but the objective was important, too.<p>

Why hadn't he realized this before? If the mission he assigned them was the same as any other mission... **Shit! And I called them the most successful group in this organization.**

"Hopeless... Hopeless... Hopeless..." Pein began to mutter.

Konan gave her lover a concerned look as she sipped some coffee. He only began muttering that word when he discovered another flaw in the Akatsuki.

"Something wrong?" Konan asked.

"We need to find a new way to find money."

"What for? Team Mortal has a success rate of 100%."

"No, take a look at these files."

He gestured to the files strewn across the table. Konan scanned each file, mostly looking at the green stamp that labelled them all SUCCESS.

"And?"

"Compare the objective and the achievement."

She took a closer look. **Objective: Kill group of 15 Grass jounin. Achievement: Ancient scroll from the Mist. **All the files had the same pattern. The objective was one thing, and they complete another. In fact, that was how Hinata joined the Akatsuki.

"Damn, that Itachi is sneaky... Their actual success rate is 0%. It's like he cast a genjutsu on it to seem like a success," Konan said, cursing Itachi's intelligence.

"Well... It's only Tuesday. At least we still have some time."

* * *

><p>Itachi, Hinata, and Kisame were now walking on a paved road, which would lead them to their destination. The air was cool and the sun was warm, making a perfect morning. It was silent, save for the sounds of their sandals on the pavement and the buzzing of insects.<p>

The Akatsuki members entered the Village of Fields. Hinata stuffed her forehead protector in her weapons pouch. Itachi cast a genjutsu over them that made their cloaks appear cloud-less. Kisame's sword was already sealed in a scroll. Samehada always got pissed after being sealed away, but whatever.

The people in the streets travelled in groups of at least 4, since it was well-known that the lion was more likely to attack a stray zebra than a herd of zebras. The citizens felt safer coming out of their homes, since they knew that there were now four jounins guarding the town, though they were still cautious.

Some stopped and stared at the three. It had been about a month since any travelers dared set foot in their village, since word of the rapist had gotten out. The villagers immediately assumed that the three in the black coats haven't heard. Without any bigmouthed merchants, the village was unable to catch up on the latest events.

* * *

><p>Hinata held onto Itachi's wrist, now pretending to be Masami. The acting didn't matter, though. What mattered right now was her sudden craving for something sweet.<p>

"I want something sweet," Hinata said.

Kisame smirked, nudged Itachi, and started nodding.

"Ne, Satoshi, you should be a good husband and give your wife a 'sweet treat,'" Kisame told Itachi.

They decided to use their fake names as soon as they entered the village. Some time to practice would be needed in order to get the hang of it. Hinata was fairly used to being called by a different name.

"I'll even give you money for it," Hinata offered.

Itachi let out a sigh.

"Anything for my _dear wife_," Itachi replied, giving in to his teammates' persistence.

"Kyo, stay here," Itachi told him.

Itachi led Hinata to the nearest candy shop. Kisame was surprised that Itachi was actually going to let Hinata have the "lollipop" she wanted. **He's going to let Hinata... err, Masami, give him a blowjob? Well, he's even getting paid for it.**

* * *

><p>Itachi and Hinata took off their hats as they entered the candy shop, finding it a bother. Hinata took out some cash from the obi of her kimono, and gave it to Itachi.<p>

"My wife is such a child," Itachi commented.

"Which makes you a pedophile," Hinata retorted.

Itachi grabbed a cherry lollipop from one of the jars, and placed it on the counter. He caught the attention of the girl at the counter, who was hiding her yaoi manga behind a magazine about healthy habits. She didn't even notice that there were customers. The girl placed her reading material down.

"79 cents," the girl told them.

Itachi laid one dollar on the counter. The girl looked at Itachi's face. **He's good-looking... **The girl at the counter noticed Hinata, who was holding onto his wrist. She immediately noticed her pale, lavender eyes, and assumed that Hinata was blind. Sadly, she was correct. **No wonder she's not drooling over him. **The girl smiled at her chance to get a new boyfriend.

The girl at the counter took the dollar from the counter, and grabbed the change from the cash register. The receipt printed, and she ripped it off and placed it on the counter, topping it with the change. She flipped her long, curly, brown hair in an attempt to attract Itachi's interest.

"For your girlfriend, I assume?" the girl guessed.

The girl was hoping that Itachi would reply with "She's not my girlfriend." Her hopes were shredded with Itachi's real reply.

"She's my wife," Itachi replied.

He actually liked the sound of that. Giving his wonderful wife a sweet treat... No, that sounded perverted. But now that he thought about it...

"Oh," the girl responded disappointedly.

Itachi took the change, receipt, and lollipop from the counter. He handed them all to Hinata, who stuffed the change and receipt in the sash of her kimono.

"So how'd you two meet?" the girl questioned, making conversation.

Hinata smiled, knowing exactly what to say.

"It was love at first sight."

The girl laughed, knowing that Hinata was blind.

"Not funny, _honey_."

* * *

><p>When Itachi and Hinata returned to Kisame, the sword wielder was both surprised and amused that Itachi had taken Hinata's request literally. Even so, Hinata still appeared satisfied with what she received. <strong>Maybe I just think wrong. <strong>Kisame only carelessly shrugged it off, pushing it to the back of his mind.

* * *

><p>At the Hyuuga manor's main dojo, Hanabi and a lower branch member were called to spar. Hiashi was unimaginably disappointed, furious, and angry at the current and previous Hyuuga heiresses for what happened at the ransom exchange. Hanabi had to endure several beatings from Hiashi as punishment, something that was bound to happen, anyway. Hanabi took the torture without regret, since it was worth doing what she did.<p>

Taking this as a chance to somewhat redeem herself, Hanabi urged herself to try her best, and then even better. The two Hyuugas got into their fighting stances, and activated their Byakugan. Hanabi began to attack her sparring partner, using her almost perfected Eight Trigrams 64 Palms against him. **2 strikes, 4 strikes, 8 strikes, 16 strikes, 32 strikes, 64 strikes! **Hanabi's opponent was knocked to the wooden floor, aching with numbing pain, and unable to stand.

Hiashi nodded in approval at his daughter, impressed with her for being able to perform the technique. Any praise from Hiashi was rare. Only distorted memories were proof that the man had any emotion besides hatred, anger, and disappointment.

"You've learned through careful observation? A fine prodigy, you are," Hiashi complimented.

Hanabi felt great joy at that moment. She had finally gotten a compliment from her father! However, the technique was learned only because Hinata taught her carefully. The Hyuuga heiress knew she couldn't take credit for something she didn't do, for it would be against her morals. The joy died out, taking memories in its stead.

"Nee-chan taught me," Hanabi denied modestly, cringing already for the slap that was to come.

Usually, Hiashi waited until him and Hanabi were alone until he beat her half to death. Unusually, Hiashi slapped Hanabi right then and there, in front of the lower branch member. Akito Hyuuga, the lower branch member, was appalled by the head Hyuuga's reaction. **This is how he treats the Hyuuga heiress? His own daughter? Repulsive! **Hanabi fell to the ground at the impact of the slap.

"You will _never_ speak of _Her_ ever again. _She_ is a weak, unintelligent fool who was banished for a reason!" Hiashi yelled harshly at his daughter.

Hanabi stood up defiantly.

"She's your _daughter_, and my _sister_!"

Hanabi earned another stinging slap from Hiashi, though she refused to fall to the ground. She stood her ground, rebelling against Hiashi. Akito followed the Hyuuga heiress's example, though his knees were a bit wobbly. He stood in front of the Hyuuga heiress, protecting her from any more abuse.

"My lord, you cannot abuse your own daughter! I have the right to report this treachery to Tsunade-sama," Akito informed Hiashi.

"Defiance is intolerable," Hiashi simply stated.

"My lord!" Akito yelled, though it sounded like he wanted to yell out "Oh my Lord, you're such a _bastard_!"

"Such parenting methods are not prohibited in the laws of the Hidden Leaf Village!"

Hiashi was practically leaking with anger. You could feel his anger scattering throughout the room, tensing the situation. In his fury, Hiashi activated the Hyuuga clan's cursed seal on Akito. He howled in agony, the screams echoing around the dojo, only emphasizing the sounds of pain.

Hanabi looked away, afraid of feeling guilt. It would be her fault if he died. Hopefully she'd be able to lie in bed with her face buried in her pillow, forgetting everything about the training session.

But then the most amazing thing happened right before Hanabi's, Hiashi's, and Akito's eyes. The seal on Akito's forehead started to fade, and his pain instantly stopped. Hiashi was utterly shocked and furious at these results. **What the hell? **There was a deep muteness etched into the situation, all too astonished to utter a single syllable.

"Both of you, _out now_," Hiashi ordered.

Akito and Hanabi scrambled out of the dojo without a word, still trying to recover from the event that had just occurred. Hiashi had no idea what was happening. First his ex-daughter joins the Akatsuki and beats up the Hyuuga prodigy, then his now-only daughter is kidnapped by his ex-daughter, after that, his now-only daughter defies him at the ransom exchange, which was followed by Neji's seal not working, and now Akito's seal wasn't working either. Karma's a bitch, isn't it?

* * *

><p><strong>Itachi... <strong>Sasuke paced back and forth in his room, trying to figure out a way to find Itachi. He didn't know why or how, but walking always helped him think better. That habit might be classified as anxiety, but he didn't care. He had to figure out how to find his older brother.

The idea suddenly struck him. **Hinata. **Hinata was now an Akatsuki member, so she'll know where Itachi is. He could take her on; after all, she was the weakest one in their class.

But that was the past. This is the present. There was a reason why she was an Akatsuki member. She even won against Neji. No, no, he could still take her on–Sasuke has grown, too.

Sasuke marched out of his room and straight into Orochimaru's office, where Kabuto was probably hanging out. He walked up to Kabuto, who was wearing a smirk on his face. Kabuto was probably somehow expecting this.

"Give me Hinata's location," Sasuke demanded.

Orochimaru looked up from some papers he was reading, and raised an eyebrow at this. **Is Sasuke-kun taking an interest in a girl? I thought he was gay. **Kabuto adjusted his glasses before replying to Sasuke's demands.

"Oh? So you're straight? Or perhaps you're bisexual," Kabuto assumed with a tone of mock surprise.

"This doesn't have anything to do with restoring the Uchiha clan," Sasuke responded.

Now Orochimaru was _really_ interested. If it didn't have anything to do with Sasuke's libido, then what in the world was it about? Orochimaru set his papers down to concentrate on listening to what Sasuke and Kabuto were discussing.

"So you really are gay, then..." Kabuto muttered.

There was no response that denied or confirmed the claim. The young Uchiha remained as stoic and emotionless as ever. Did anything ever bother him?

"Just tell me where she is," Sasuke ordered.

Kabuto gestured towards Sasuke to follow him. The latter watched as the man with glasses stepped towards the filing cabinet, pulled out the second drawer, and searched for the letter H. Within that section, he pulled out the file labelled "Hyuuga Hinata". Orochimaru blinked in confusion.

"Kabuto, that is _my_ filing cabinet. Why must you store _your_ pranking materials in there?" Orochimaru questioned.

"My lord, I store _all_ my materials in there. My files, weapons, bird sketches, even my lunch," Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru crossed his arms. Sasuke was perplexed about the reasons why Kabuto would store his lunch in a filing cabinet.

"That still doesn't answer my question," the Snake Sannin stated.

"I've been doing this for years, Orochimaru-sama. Since you haven't complained, I assumed that you were fine with it," Kabuto told him.

Orochimaru sighed in defeat. He never actually used the filing cabinet, anyway. Kabuto was the one who fetched files and papers from the filing cabinet at his command, which makes him the only one using it. The grey-haired man certainly knew how to get his way with things.

"Carry on, carry on," Orochimaru dismissed, giving Kabuto full permission to do as he wished with his filing cabinet.

Kabuto handed the file labelled "Hyuuga Hinata" to Sasuke. The young Uchiha peered at the contents. There was only frivolous details listed. The information showed that Hinata's favorite color is scarlet, her least favorite color is orange **(Ironic how her old crush, Naruto, always wore the color orange)**, her boss-presumably the Akatsuki leader-annoys her, she was partnered with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki **(That's convenient)**, she likes cinnamon buns, and that she was single. There were some small notes on the side mentioning that she was very scary in a calm way **(What an exaggeration)**, a description of her appearance **(Is an estimate on her breast size really necessary?)**,and that Hiashi Hyuuga was a million times more of a bastard than Itachi Uchiha is **(Impossible)**.

Her personality, stats, fighting abilities, blood type, her former teammates, a picture of what she looked like as a 12-year-old, her background was shown. Even her favorite foods and hobbies were written down. There were some comments at the bottom about how much she must've improved and how she oddly had the smell of lavender. Sasuke took a weird glance at the man with glasses, suspecting that Kabuto had somewhat of a crush on Hinata.

He skipped the printed research about some kind of myth that explained the origins of her nickname. Basically, Sasuke learned that Hinata is probably still a taijutsu-user, and probably was forced to learn the Strong Fist since she was unable to use the Byakugan. **Blind and had to learn how to fight all over again... **She must pack one hell of a punch if she was able to defeat her older cousin. Twice. She must also rely on sensing chakra a lot, so she was probably a skilled sensor.

From failure to goddess... That really _is_ one hell of an evolution.

He spotted an extra paper that stuck to the back of another one. That paper had the information that he was really looking for. There was more current information, with a picture of her with long hair and a black kimono. She was about 14 in that picture. How did he get a picture of her when she was 14?

She's a long-range fighter **(Isn't she blind?)**, very adept with stealing and lying **(Miss Goody Two-Shoes?)**, a master at the Gentle Fist (**What the **_**fuck?**_**)**, a skilled sensor, and she lost her stutter **(Thank God. That was annoying)**. After she was banished, she wasn't accepted into the Akatsuki right away. She escaped to the forest during those four years. It's quite impressive that she's still alive, even after all the crazy shit she went through.

Then there was some bullshit about the Sharingan. Why the hell is that in there? It's pretty rare for Kabuto to misplace information, due to his OCD-like habits. He closed the folder, turning his Sharingan off after every piece of info was absorbed.

"Ah yes, that reminds me. The Moon-Eyed Goddess wanted a message delivered to Sasuke Uchiha," Kabuto informed him, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

Hinata wanted to say something to him? They have never even spoken to each other before. **Wonder what this could be.**

"She wanted to say hi," Kabuto told Sasuke.

**Hi? That's it? **Sasuke shrugged it off. It's not like they were lifelong rivals or best friends. He was just glad it wasn't some kind of secret love confession.

"At the ransom exchange, Hinata spoke of a hot springs trip this Friday. The kidnapping of the Hyuuga heiress for a million dollars was just to get money for that hot springs trip," Kabuto informed him.

"Must be some prices," Orochimaru commented.

"No, the prices were quite reasonable, actually. $25 per person per day, and she'll be staying at the hot springs for 3 days," Kabuto replied.

"I've looked at all the hot spring's prices in the world, and I've found 11 matches. Of those 11 matches, there are 6 in very well-known villages that are quite aware of the Akatsuki. In the remaining 5 matches, I've sent spies who will report any sightings of black cloaks with red clouds. All we have to do is wait," Kabuto explained.

"You arranged all of this before I even asked?"

Kabuto always was curious about Hinata after the time he healed her in the Chuunin Exams. She was never outstanding, but that was what caught his eye. He had suspicions of domestic abuse since her character was always so sweet, quiet, and lacked confidence. After all, she was the former Hyuuga heiress.

"I had a hunch you wanted to know this information," he lied.

**Yeah, right... **Oh, wait. _Kabuto_ had a crush on _Hinata_. _Orochimaru's creepy assistant _had a crush on _his classmate. _

Ew.

"I think I'd like to meet this Moon-Eyed Goddess that my dear Sasuke-chan seems to be so fond of," Orochimaru told Kabuto.

Sasuke shrugged. The Snake Sannin had full permission from the Sharingan-user to use Hinata for his experiments. He really didn't care.

"Are you jealous that she has a fancier title than you?" the Snake Sannin accused.

Sasuke glared at the snake-like man. That was probably the only emotion they could get out of him: anger. Orochimaru chuckled at his reaction.** Such beautiful eyes... **Orochimaru grinned maliciously, and slowly approached the young Sharingan-wielder. He licked his lips, imagining all the ways he'll take Sasuke's glorious body.

Sasuke calmly proceeded to stride out of Orochimaru's office, and desperately trying to clear his mind of Kabuto's crush on Hinata. It was just disturbing. He was _7 years_ older than her. Just... gross.

"So I'll be coming on the trip to see the Moon-Eyed Goddess?" Orochimaru assumed.

Sasuke slammed the door behind him, creating a loud noise that echoed throughout the office.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Of course a loud door slam would be a yes, my lord," Kabuto sarcastically replied.

Orochimaru's right-hand man opened the filing cabinet, and searched for section A. Kabuto scanned the folders for the folder labelled Apple, and pulled out said fruit from it. Kabuto bit into the red apple, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to store lunch in a filing cabinet.

"You are a strange man," Orochimaru remarked.

Kabuto only smirked as he chewed his apple. After he swallowed, he gave his response.

"I know you are, but what am I?" Kabuto retorted childishly.

* * *

><p>Itachi, Hinata, and Kisame were now wandering around the Village of Fields. Hinata had finished her lollipop a long time ago, the remains of the lollipop discarded.<p>

The blind girl's heart was beating fast. Since when did holding hands with him make her feel this way? They held hands _all_ the time, thanks to her eyesight. Maybe it was the fact that they were holding hands as_ lovers_. Or pretend lovers, at the very least.

Did she want him to be her lover...?

Hinata's face reddened at the thought. She had a feeling that Itachi could read her just like a book. A book that Hinata couldn't read. Not that she could read _any_ books anymore.

Kisame, on the other hand, was about to die of boredom. They were just walking around in circles. What was the purpose of that? Seriously!

Kisame glanced at Hinata to check if she was bored, too. He saw that Hinata and Itachi were holding hands. Kisame was about to accuse the two of being an item until he remembered that Hinata was blind and that the two were pretending to be a married couple.** This sucks! I can't even make fun of those two for being a couple because they're **_**supposed**_** to be acting like they're a couple. **The sword-wielder groaned in his mind, fighting the urge to yell out his thoughts.

Wandering aimlessly in circles was tedious and unnecessary. Surely their time could be wasted with better methods.

"Let's eat," Kisame suggested.

* * *

><p>"Those two spend a lot of time together," Sasori mentioned.<p>

Sasori screwed a screw into the forearm of one of his incomplete puppets. Kakuzu counted his money, arranging them into piles of $500. It was a tranquil scene, with money being shuffled and tools occasionally clanking together.

The two spent their time together in this fashion often, talking about recent matters. They had a lot in common. Both were immortal, quiet, stubborn, despised their overly active partners, and had short tempers. They respected each other a good deal, and never fought.

"Leader-sama even put her into Itachi's team. Usually, there are only teams of two," Kakuzu responded.

He set another stack on the coffee table, and grabbed more from his suitcase. Sasori got another screw, and began to screw it into the knuckle.

"There wasn't much of a choice, really. It would only make sense for them to be on the same team, anyway. He's her guardian."

"She could've been paired with Zetsu," the brunette contradicted.

"Zetsu isn't an option," the redhead argued.

"And why is that?"

_"Katsu!" _they heard Deidara yell in the distance.

As expected, an explosion followed.

_"You fucking_ _dumbass!" _Hidan shouted at Deidara.

Sasori and Kakuzu let out an annoyed sigh in unison. **Those idiots...**

"You're paying for that, Deidara!" Kakuzu informed the blonde.

_"I know, I know, un!"_

"He's a mindless slave to the organization," Sasori continued.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"His missions involve infiltration and spying because of his unique jutsu. Hinata wouldn't be able to keep up."

"True..."

They focused on their tasks, letting the conversation pause for a while.

"Do you think that legend is true?" Kakuzu asked.

"It's possible," Sasori stated.

"There's a lot of evidence that suggests it's valid."

"She's oblivious to the legend. She doesn't even know why people call her by the alias 'Moon-Eyed Goddess.'"

"At least we know she's not just another fake. Many Hyuugas have falsely claimed to be a reincarnation of the Moon-Eyed Goddess," Kakuzu replied.

"Well, they're all descendants of the Moon-Eyed Goddess. The only way we'll know for sure if the legend is real is if Hinata somehow regains her eyesight."

"Highly unlikely," Kakuzu commented.

"But still possible."

* * *

><p>"So here's the plan..." Shikamaru started, drawing an X in the dirt with a stick he found.<p>

Everyone immediately started to pay attention to Shikamaru. Though Neji couldn't help but stay stuck on the word "plan". The Hyuuga knew he shouldn't be daydreaming, but his memories were clawing their way into his focus. He just couldn't help himself. The flashbacks practically forced themselves into his attention.

* * *

><p><em>A young Hinata hid behind the doorframe of Neji's room, waiting for permission to go inside. She was only 5, and hadn't gotten her stutter yet. Her mother was still alive and pregnant with Hanabi, as was Hizashi, minus the pregnant part. Hinata wasn't abused by her father at this age, though he was still disappointed with her fighting skills. <em>

_Neji was 6 and hadn't gone through his "destiny phase", yet. He played with Hinata often, but was unable to play with her as much nowadays because he strived to become a fine shinobi. His current goals were to protect his clan and fulfill his duties. _

_"Neji-nii-san..."_

_Neji put down the scroll he was studying. _

_"I'm sorry, Hinata-sama. I can't play with you right now. Next time, okay?" _

_She giggled, smiling at him for making an assumption. She always bothered him over insignificant matters like playing a game. He was so serious, though. He deserved time to play. _

_She walked into his room. Apparently she thought that that statement meant it was okay to enter. _

_"I just wanted to know if you wanted anything. Anything at all, Nii-san," she told him. _

_He thought for a while, pondering over his wishes and desires. The one thing he wanted most of all was to get that horrible curse mark on his forehead removed. He didn't want to ask too much from her, though. _

_"You can't give me what I want," Neji denied, shaking his head in disapproval. _

_She laughed, finding his answer ridiculous. She was completely confident that she'd be able to accomplish whatever he wanted. It was as if she was a genie. _

_"I said anything, Neji-nii-san. Anything means everything. And you can't just say nothing, because that's the antithesis of everything. Like Yin and Yang."_

Now that he thought about it, Hinata was pretty intelligent for a 5-year-old. What kind of 5-year-old knew what the word antithesis meant? She said such profound things to him, and he just brushed them off. Gods, he should have listened to her more often. She probably could've explained to him what those crazy words and phrases in the ninjutsu scrolls meant.

_The brunette let out an annoyed sigh at his younger cousin's childish persistence. If he answered, then she'd leave him alone. _

_"What I desire is _freedom_."_

_He didn't expect her to fulfill his wishes. It was already set in stone, unchangeable, irreversible, permanent. This was _destiny_. _

_She replied to Neji with a nod, accepting his dare. The heiress scurried out of Neji's room. Neji raised an eyebrow. __**What is she planning?**__ He dismissed his thoughts, and resumed studying the scroll about ninjutsu. _

_Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. _

_"And chocolate!" he yelled, hoping that his younger cousin would hear._

* * *

><p>He never got that chocolate that she promised. Maybe she was planning on giving the chocolate and diary to him together. He shouldn't even worry about the chocolate, anyway. She probably forgot. <strong>But she's always had an exceptional memory...<strong>

"–and that'll be the plan. Any questions?" Shikamaru concluded, relieved that there were no distractions during his long explanation.

Neji shot back into reality. He must've spaced out and missed the entire plan to take on Hinata and any Akatsuki Hyuuga prodigy glanced around at his teammates, hoping that he wasn't the only one who wasn't paying attention. He'd really hate to admit he wasn't listening when it was _his_ idea to bring back Hinata in the first place.

Naruto nodded at Shikamaru, seemingly understanding every word he said. Neji feared the idea of humiliating himself by requesting Shikamaru to explain everything. He mentally scolded himself harshly. He was the Hyuuga prodigy; he couldn't afford to make these kinds of mistakes. **Even **_**Naruto**_** was listening!**

"Can you repeat that?" Naruto requested.

There were groans and insults slung at the blue-eyed boy. Shikamaru muttered his catchphrase. He explained the plan slowly _specifically_ for Naruto, and he still manages to not understand. How troublesome.

* * *

><p>The three Akatsuki members strolled down an empty street, searching for a suitable place to eat at. Kisame heard pitiful sobs, most likely coming from a girl. <strong>Could it be my inner cries of help? <strong>Hinata and Itachi seemed to have noticed the sobs, too. **Oh good, I'm not the only one... **

"Am I going crazy, or do I hear crying?" Hinata questioned.

"You're going crazy, but the crying is real," Kisame answered.

Hinata listened meticulously to the whimpering, trying to focus on a chakra source. The three Akatsuki members were at the part of town that was without witness. The street was bare of people, which made it easier for Hinata to locate the source of the sobs. She pointed to an alley to their left.

"Over there," Hinata told them.

The blind girl walked towards the alley, with Itachi and Kisame by her side. There was a small girl with ragged clothes and long tawny hair, curled up against a wall. Hinata approached the girl, taking cautious steps as if testing if it was a trap. The girl looked up, with tears still forming.

"A-are you here to kill me?" the girl stuttered.

"No. Where's your mother?" Hinata replied.

The girl looked into Hinata's eyes, and immediately turned away. She wasn't intimidated because Hinata was blind. Her eyes were just too gentle and kind, reminding the girl of her mother.

"My mom... Sh... She's..." the younger girl stuttered.

She didn't want to utter that horrid four-letter word. _Dead. _Or the other four-letter word that caused it. _Rape. _There was another four-letter word that described both of her parents. _Gone. _And the feelings that the rest of her family had towards her. _Hate._

"...a victim of sexual assault and homicide..."

That sounded better than saying her mother was raped and killed. Using these fancy words was somehow comforting to the girl.

"And your father?" Hinata asked.

"Suicide..." she choked out.

She could still see her father's limp, lifeless body hanging from the ceiling in her mind. **I wasn't worth enough... **She could still hear her mother's terrified shrieks that forever rang in her ears. **I wasn't strong enough... **She could still taste her own blood that was coughed up as her aunt shoved her against a wall. **I wasn't good enough...**

She wanted to run, but her legs were too weak. The girl was starved, thirsty, dirty, and broken. Even if she did bother to stand up, she'd only collapse.

"Your family?"

"They loathe me..."

Hinata was almost shocked at how similar their lives were. She's been in the girl's shoes before. She knew the wretched feelings that boiled in her lungs. In fact, she was still experiencing those emotions. Hinata kneeled down to the younger girl's level.

"Crying doesn't make you weak. Living in lies to make yourself feel better makes you weak. Don't try to forget your past, but don't live in it either. You have to be strong and learn to move on."

She stayed silent, contemplating Hinata's words.

Hinata stood up, and sauntered over towards her teammates. They left the alley, proceeding to get lunch. The girl stood up, and caught up to the three. Hinata inspired a flame of hope in the girl's empty heart. She gave a small tug on Hinata's sleeve, catching her attention.

She knew she shouldn't talk to strangers. Her mother would've surely lectured her for this if she was still alive. Their presence was already deadly enough. There was just something about them that made it seem okay to approach them, even though they were unapproachable.

"T... Teach me how to fight, Onee-chan," the girl pleaded.

Hinata was a bit surprised at the sudden request.

"Ano... Satoshi no danna?" Hinata asked, wanting permission.

"You might as well."

The young girl glanced at the man that was supposed to be Satoshi. She blushed at how handsome he was, and looked away. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, trying to make herself look less like a street rat.

"Um... Sure, why not?"

"She can't live with us, you know," Kisame told the blind girl.

"I know. Our lifestyle would probably overwhelm her. I'm still getting used to it, you know," the former Hyuuga responded.

* * *

><p>"So I'll be your sensei for a few hours or so, and then you're on your own," Hinata told the girl.<p>

The Suzuki nodded, though Hinata wasn't able to see. Beggars aren't choosers.

"What's your name?" Hinata questioned.

She hesitated before giving her name, not knowing if it was a good idea.

"Suzuki Momoko," she answered.

"How old are you?"

"10."

"Call me Masami."

Hinata gestured towards Kisame.

"This is Kyo."

She gestured towards an empty space to her left.

"And this is my husband, Satoshi no danna."

"I'm on your right side," Itachi informed Hinata.

"You're too hard to sense, Satoshi no danna," Hinata complained.

**So she really is blind... **Momoko tried her best to avoid looking Hinata in the eyes. It scared her to know how she became blind. **Maybe an accident? **Momoko shuddered at the thought of going through a terrible accident that would leave her blind. **She could've just been born blind, though... **

Hinata strolled a good distance away from Momoko, and got into her fighting stance.

"The places I touch are the places you need to cover. Don't give your opponents any openings," Hinata advocated.

Momoko got into a weak fighting stance, her legs together and her arms at stomach level.

"Arms higher, legs spread more apart, dominant leg behind secondary leg, dominant foot's toe pointed to side, secondary foot's toe pointed straight," Itachi advised the Suzuki.

She fixed her stance, blushing.

"Arigato..."

"Do you know what chakra is?" Hinata asked.

**Chakra...? **The term sounded familiar to her. It was shinobi-related; that's what she knew. Her father said something about how shinobi used chakra for stuff. What did he say, again?

"Umm... It's like energy, I think. Shinobi know how to control it to use it as a weapon," Momoko answered.

**So she's not completely naïve about the shinobi ways. **

"Correct. Everyone has chakra. If you control it, you can use ninjutsu and genjutsu. You don't need it for taijutsu," Hinata taught her.

"Ninjutsu has physical effects created by chakra, like being able to make clones. Genjutsu is illusion techniques. Taijutsu is just hand-to-hand combat," she explained.

"If you can't mold chakra to use ninjutsu or genjutsu, then you can't become a ninja," Itachi added.

Momoko panicked. What if she wasn't able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu? After all, she's been raised by a merchant and a farmer. She didn't have the blood of a shinobi.

"Wrong," Hinata responded.

"I knew a boy who was unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He worked his hardest at taijutsu, but even then he was still weak in that area. He practiced day and night, 24/7. Eventually, all his work paid off. He passed the academy despite his disabilities, and I'm pretty sure he must be a Chuunin by now," Hinata explained.

Momoko relaxed at the story. All she needed was hard work and determination. But could she do it? Could she maintain the passion to succeed? She hoped to whatever god that was up there that she had the ability to mold chakra.

"Ah yes, Rock Lee, was it? His sensei was as annoying as _hell_," Kisame commented.

"It still puts him at a disadvantage. He's susceptible to genjutsu," Itachi stated.

"True, but that's why we have comrades to cover up our weaknesses," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p><strong>I wonder where I'd be if it weren't for Shino-kun and Kiba-kun... <strong>Hinata pondered over the thought, and came up with the conclusion that she'd still be where she was standing today. She never felt close to her former teammates. Only Kurenai was able to form a solid bond with her, but even that wasn't enough. Kiba was always so loud and obnoxious, while Shino was... weird.

But should she really be talking? She used to have that annoying stutter and nervous disposition. She belonged on that team of freaks. "Team Jacket" is what she called them. And sometimes "that creepy team with the hot sensei." She really didn't miss being on_ that_ team.

Though did she really deserve to be on the team she was on now? She wasn't actually famous for anything, really. All she did was defeat her lovesick cousin and bandage an injured man. Bringing the Hyuuga clan's downfall wasn't even anything special, either. They had problems to begin with, and was probably going to decline, anyway.

Gods, she was_ still_ a failure. No matter how hard she tried, it'd still never be enough. She might actually be dragged back to Konoha if she didn't get stronger.

That gaudy nickname of hers didn't even fit her. The Moon-Eyed Goddess... What a joke! Those eyes she possessed were _cursed_. They were the reason why Hizashi was dead.

* * *

><p>"Masami," Itachi called.<p>

He didn't receive a response. She just suddenly spaced out after her last statement. What was she thinking about?

Her eyes held a deep regret and guilt in them. They were similar to the eyes he had after the massacre... She couldn't have caused a mass murder, though. Was it her former comrades, then?

"Masami."

Still nothing. Maybe she wasn't used to her fake name. The name "Satoshi" was already foreign enough to him.

"Earth to Masami!" Kisame cried out to get Hinata's attention.

Hinata was startled out of her pessimistic feelings. She had completely forgotten about where she was at the moment.

"G-gomen..."

"That doesn't matter. Just train the girl before the sun sets," Kisame replied.

"Um... A-are we going to train? I've been holding this position for a while..." Momoko questioned, still frozen in her fighting pose.

"Gomen, Momo-chan... Just come at me before I get lost in my thoughts again."

* * *

><p>The Suzuki dashed towards Hinata, and began to strike her. Hinata tapped Momoko's left and right shoulder. The Suzuki fixed her position, and continued to strike at her sensei. Hinata dodged with ease, and purposely left openings.<p>

Momoko kept missing. She felt so foolish by only hitting air. Hinata tapped Momoko's rib cage, left arm, collarbone, and forehead.

The Suzuki finally worked up enough courage to look her teacher in the eyes. She was going to have to focus on what she was hitting to actually hit. It felt a bit hopeless after a while, as if she would never be able to land a hit on her teacher. Her _blind_ teacher.

More misses. Hinata only felt wind pass by her, assumedly from Momoko's failed attempts at bruising her. Why the hell was she so freaking good at this? **Blind people must have special powers... **

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

Tap.

Miss.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The strikes became desperate and clumsy. She wasn't even trying to aim or hit, anymore. Maybe if she tried a kick...

Bad idea. She missed and lost balance, clumsily toppling over. Hinata had to catch her. **Why does a freaking blind person have better balance than me?**

"You okay?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah..."

She got back on her feet, disappointed with herself. Hinata could sense the flat mood that her student developed. The passion and fiery spirit she started with had been doused. The current training method wasn't working out for her.

* * *

><p>"Satoshi no danna, do you want help me do a demonstration?" Hinata requested.<p>

She was secretly hoping that she'd also learn from the demonstration. She had never had a real spar with Itachi, and was interested to know how he fought.

"Next time," he automatically responded.

Translation: No.

"Kyo-san?" Hinata offered.

"I'm more of a sword-user, and I don't really have my sword," Kisame declined.

Translation: Wish I could, but I can't.

If he revealed his sword, it would be a dead giveaway to their identities. It was a freaking huge sword. With a freaking distinct chakra signature. He already had enough trouble trying to suppress his own chakra.

Hinata sighed. She couldn't continue with the method she was using now. Who knew teaching could be this difficult?

"How much do you want to be a shinobi?" Hinata asked her.

Momoko paused to think for a few moments.

"It's... my goal in life," she answered honestly.

"You know the consequences, right?" Hinata asked.

Surely the girl knew what she was getting into. The life of a shinobi wasn't a very happy one. It's either kill or be killed. You had to lie, hide, deceive, manipulate, and threaten to survive. All those good morals you had in the beginning were usually crushed and replaced in the end.

God knows how many shinobi developed mental illnesses. There were good hospitals, yes, but what about_ mental hospitals_? You had to rely on friends to keep you sane, and sometimes that wasn't enough. Uchiha Sasuke, for example...

"Hard work?" Momoko guessed.

* * *

><p>Tsunade reluctantly restrained her itching fists. Tonton cowered in a corner, oinking helplessly. The Slug Princess always had a short temper, and those stubborn Elders weren't helping at all. In fact, there were times when Shizune had to help hold back the Hokage before she murdered the Elders.<p>

Usually, Shizune would be behind her mentor, holding Tonton close to herself. However, she left that morning, traveling to a small village for a meeting to discuss village matters and ensure the treaties are kept. Her and the clan heads were summoned. It was the same with the Sand and Mist.

"Sending Naruto on that mission was a foolish decision! You're sending him straight into the hands of the Akatsuki!" Koharu insisted.

"The mission_ itself_ was a foolish decision," Homura stated with that matter-of-fact tone.

Tsunade clenched her fists. Would they_ shut up_ already? She was the Hokage, damn it!

"I know that he's no ordinary boy," the blonde responded with clenched teeth.

"That's _exactly_ why I sent him. Because he has the power to change people. Hinata loved him, and I'm sure those emotions will kindle when they meet."

Koharu scoffed at her argument. Tonton made a few noises of uneasiness.

"That Hinata is trouble. If she returns, who knows how much damage she'll cause?" Homura said.

"She's a member of our village! The Hyuuga clan had it coming! It's probably for the best that their damned curse seal ceased to exist."

"That cursed seal has protected secrets for centuries. Hinata is but one person, and she's not worth sacrificing an entire clan for," the old man debated.

"She was a quiet, respectful, hard-working young girl. The reason why she's targeting the Hyuuga clan is because they abused her," the Slug Sannin shot back.

An eye for an eye. Would Hinata blind Hiashi as her revenge? Or steal his eyes? Or was the Hyuuga clan's fall the only thing she sought?

Tsunade believed that Hinata wasn't a ruthless murderer, like the rest of the Akatsuki. Everything she said and did while she was in Konoha couldn't have been just an act. Her abandonment of the village had to be because she was just scared and confused. She had to know that there was more to bonds than restraint and getting hurt.

_Just like Sasuke. _

"She's a dangerous S-rank Akatsuki member. Do you know how much the village will suffer after the Hyuuga clan falls? They participate in more than 75% of our recon missions," Koharu claimed.

"Do you know how much conflict there already is in the Hyuuga clan? It's because of the cursed seal and their views of who's superior and inferior. With the seal gone, the conflict could vanish," Tsunade reasoned.

Her goals obviously weren't cynical, judging by the words in her diary. If you could even call it a diary. The least they could do to ease her suffering was to bring her back and make her feel accepted. All her life she felt like an outcast... **That damn Hiashi. **

How difficult was it to be blind? To struggle in the darkness in the hands of the Akatsuki for four years... They made her feel like she was actually worth something, that she had the capacity to be more than the failure she always thought she was. Were they nice to her? Did they treat her like the family she never had?

* * *

><p><em>"I'm sorry that I'm not like Hanabi-chan, Father," Hinata mumbled to the glass window. <em>

_Hinata sat on a chair in her hospital room, staring at the night sky. She was still recovering from the heart injury that she got in the Chuunin Exams. She liked to keep the room dark, for some reason. Maybe she found security in the dark, since nobody would be able to see her. _

_Tsunade watched the young girl with sad, amber eyes. She was jealous of her younger sister. It must've been humiliating and degrading to have your younger sister steal your position as heiress. What could she do, though? The clans had their own policy that even the Hokage couldn't change. _

_"You shouldn't be up. The doctors said it could trigger a coughing fit if you were to get too worked up," the Godaime Hokage told her. _

_"I'm sorry..." _

_Who was she talking to when she said those words? Did she even care if she lived or died anymore? Did she think that she _deserved_ the pain she was in, right now?_

* * *

><p>"Their system will become a mess after the seal disappears. A struggle for control will start and–"<p>

"–_Let it be_, then! Let them start a civil war amongst themselves and find a system that will be for the better! They can't continue living with that horrendous means of authority! It was_ bound_ to happen, eventually!" the Hokage interjected.

There was a tense silence. The words cut deep, leaving a frosty sensation. They couldn't stall their problems forever. One day, they'd have to face the music.

It was an insensitive point of view, yet it was completely logical. The clan of Byakugan-users had to settle their problems once and for all. It was certain to escalate into something worse later. The cursed seal was the cause and delay of those misfortunes.

Who gives a _damn_ if that corrupted clan fell? You can't abuse your own _daughter_, for God's sake! That bastard needed to learn from his mistakes.

Tsunade rose from the couch abruptly, and stomped off angrily. She's had enough of those old hags. She proceeded to take her anger out on some trees. Heck, she had enough rage to destroy an entire forest!

* * *

><p>After a small pep talk and a new approach, Hinata and Momoko attempted to spar once again. The younger girl's confidence was restored and her determination strengthened. Itachi watched the two, half admiring Hinata's grace, half analyzing Momoko's skills. The Suzuki was a quick learner, picking up taijutsu pretty well. She wasn't much of a prodigy, but she was at a slightly-lower-than-a-genin level. That would probably be fixed after a few good training sessions.<p>

Sometimes Hinata would add in a few fancy moves just to try to impress Itachi. She didn't know when she started striving to get his attention. Maybe it was because she wanted him to recognize her? No, it was probably because she wanted him (and everyone else, too) to know that she wasn't a cripple. And to let people know how awesome she is.

Yes, she let him lead her around, but she'd somehow find a way to make it around the Akatsuki base on her own. She just needed some help, that was all. A crutch, you could call it.

She didn't hold onto his sleeve just because she wanted to. She pretty much _had_ to. Even though he was right next to her, she couldn't sense his chakra at all. His footsteps were always quiet. Sometimes she'd call out his name during a conversation, just to make sure he was still in the room.

He actually did leave the room during a conversation just to get an apple or something.

Momoko began to invent a few of her own fancy moves. She'd kick at Hinata's right arm (without losing balance), strike her left arm, quickly do a sweep kick, and then strike Hinata's left thigh.

Of course, there was barely any effect since it missed. The teacher froze, though, surprised by something that her student did.

* * *

><p>"... Did you just use chakra?" Hinata questioned.<p>

"Huh?" Momoko replied, confused.

That pressure... It definitely was _chakra_. Her student used a chakra-enforced strike. It was sloppy, but Hinata was still proud. Momoko knew how to gather chakra!

"Oh. Umm... I don't know. I just sorta... used force. Built up energy... It was kinda natural," she answered.

And it wasn't a mere accident! She knew how to control chakra! Hinata felt like bragging to everyone in the Akatsuki about how awesome her student was. It was a small feat, but to Hinata, it was a milestone. Usually students learned how to actually use chakra instead of learning about it during the second to last year of the academy.

First thing was first, though. Momoko needed to learn chakra control. Hinata was going to teach her the classic tree-walking skill.

"There's no trees around here," Hinata stated.

**Well, fuck.**Of course there weren't any trees. They were in the middle of_ nowhere_. A tree was probably miles away. They could just use a wall, but that'd be too dangerous. No wonder the Village of Fields wasn't a shinobi village.

"No shit, Sherlocks," Kisame retorted.

Damn, walking up trees was a pretty cool skill. Oh well. First, Momoko needed to learn how to gather chakra. Hinata formed the Seal of Confrontation, her index and middle finger together.

"This is the Seal of Confrontation, used mainly for gathering chakra for basic techniques. Copy it and try to imagine energy, letting it surround you."

The young Suzuki nodded, obeying the instructions. She closed her eyes and visualized gathering force, like she did during the spar. A faint blue glow surrounded her. She opened her eyes when she felt the familiar pressure.

Itachi's attention was now entirely fixed on Momoko. She was average, but considering her background, Momoko's skill was great. He was interested in how much she'd progress after entering the academy. It'd definitely be new to her, but she looked like she would adapt quickly.

"Impressive," Itachi commented.

He used that word a lot when complimenting others, but he couldn't really find another one to replace it. Maybe he should consider looking at a thesaurus.

Momoko tried her best to resist the urge to turn around and drool. She liked receiving his praise, but she couldn't let it ruin her concentration.

"Good. There are 12 hand seals," the blind girl said to her student.

The Suzuki took this as a signal to release the seal. She felt a bit tired, but she was way too excited to rest.

"Bird," she told her, demonstrating said seal.

"Boar. Dog. Dragon. Ox. Tiger. Snake. Rat. Horse. Monkey. Hare. Ram."

Momoko knew she wouldn't be able to memorize all of those hand seals. The only hand seals she bothered to implant in her memory was Ram, Tiger, and Snake.

"Different combinations of these seals are used to perform different techniques. There are countless combinations, and many new techniques yet to be invented."

The female Akatsuki member decided to take this up a notch. Momoko already knew how to gather chakra. Heck, she already knew how to make hits stronger with chakra. Why not teach her a jutsu?

"I'm going to teach you _Bunshin no Jutsu_. Here are the seals."

Momoko was_ really_ pumped now. She was going to learn ninjutsu! Her heart started beating faster, waiting for Hinata to reveal the hand signs.

"Ram, Snake, and Tiger. In that order, specifically."

How lucky! Those were the seals she actually knew. She waited for any other instructions that would be needed to perform the technique.

"Make the seals, then perform the jutsu."

Momoko formed the three seals slowly, gathering the chakra needed.

"_Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

A pathetic, wobbly excuse for a clone appeared next to the young girl. **What the crap?**

Itachi expected the girl's performance to fail. She knew how to use chakra, but she didn't have good control of it. At least she managed _something_, though. She was pretty close to being at genin-level. Practice would probably get her to Chuunin-level.

"It didn't work," Momoko declared.

"You probably need better chakra control. I could feel the chakra being wasted, swirling around in the air," the ex-Hyuuga advised.

Perhaps they should inform her that the technique was a waste of chakra. The clone doesn't attack and is easily distinguishable from the original. It was only required for the graduation test to become a genin in Konoha. Did genin really need to learn this wasteful jutsu?

* * *

><p>"You hungry?" Hinata asked her student.<p>

None of them had eaten breakfast that day. She didn't actually care if Momoko was hungry, because she was. They were getting food whether the Suzuki liked it or not. Of course she would like it, though. Who would deny free food?

"Don't worry, Kyo-san is treating us," the blind girl assured her.

**Wait, what? Why me? **It was already decided. Kisame was going to buy them food, either reluctantly or willingly. He sighed in defeat, taking out his wallet.

* * *

><p>"Genjutsu is illusion techniques. Use your chakra to disrupt your opponent's senses, and create an illusion. You need very precise chakra control and high intelligence in order to do it correctly," Hinata taught Momoko.<p>

She wasn't going to go into depth about genjutsu since the girl couldn't even perform a jutsu yet. Genjutsu would be too difficult at this early stage. Momoko wasn't going to get rushed, though.

Kisame disliked eating sweets so often. Unfortunately, he was teamed with the man with the sweetest tooth in the Akatsuki. He thought it was just a phase that he'd grow out of, but the trait was permanent.

Hinata wasn't used to eating dessert for breakfast, but she certainly wasn't complaining. She imagined what her father would say if he saw her right now. "Wrong! You may not eat that ridiculously high-calorie snack for breakfast!" _Smack._ "Are you a Hyuuga or an Akimichi?" Her mother would've used some kind of epic, dramatic ninja move to steal the dango. Hanabi would've simply ignored it, not caring about her older sister's diet.

Neji would've given her the death glare, as if it would somehow make Hinata submissively give up her food. "_Hinata-sama..._" he'd warn her. Hizashi would've attempted to butter her up with a dozen compliments, nonchalantly grabbing the dango stick in the process. "Oh, my beautiful niece! I'm sure you'd be the perfect heiress! Such splendid attire you've chosen today..." Those two were as crazy about sweets as Hinata was.

Whereas in Itachi's perfect pre-massacre life, Fugaku would simply walk in the kitchen and comment, "You've gained some weight, son... You'll probably burn those calories during those 50 A-rank missions that you'll complete in a day, though, huh? Attaboy! That's my perfect heir!" Mikoto would've stared at Itachi, her mouth drooling, mumbling, "Screw the diet, gimme some of those sweets, 'Tachi..." Itachi would've held the dango close to him possessively. Sasuke would've attacked Itachi with a surprise hug, not caring for sweets. "Nii-san's a fatty!", he'd mock.

Shisui would've probably faked some horrible sudden disease that would somehow require that Itachi to give up his food. Loud coughing and collapsing on the floor dramatically seemed like something he'd do. "Itachi... I... I don't have much time left... The only cure is... dango..." And then he'd pretend to pass out. "Rest in peace, Shisui-nii-chan."

Ahh, memories...

Momoko felt out of place sitting with these complete strangers. She was only comfortable talking with Masami since she was the friendliest. The other two barely even talk. She forgot what their voices sounded like, already. She listened to Masami's lecture about genjutsu, trying to make sense of it.

Itachi didn't bother paying attention to Hinata's description of genjutsu. Why would he? He was already a master at it.

He kept his focus on her eyes. **A Hyuuga with the Sharingan... **Perhaps her mother was an Uchiha? It'd explain why Hiashi murdered her. The theory was implausible, though. If a Uchiha got married into the Hyuuga clan, his father would've been notified, and would've complained about it to Itachi.

Who was her mother, anyway? This voice in the back of his mind was trying to tell him that he knew who Hinata's mother was. Hinata looked like a younger version of someone he's seen before. But who?

He found his eyes straying towards Hinata's lips. Then down to her chest. He bit down on his tongue as punishment for his perverse eyes. Hidan's behavior was starting to rub off on him.

* * *

><p><em>"Dude, she's <em>totally_ fuckable! Seriously!" Hidan told Itachi. _

_The Uchiha had no idea how he ended up in a conversation with the Jashinist. Let alone how they ended up discussing Hinata's figure. In fact, why was he even in the same room as him? _

_The two were complete opposites. Yet somehow, Hidan always managed to get Itachi to come out of his shell. Perhaps it was because he found the foul-mouthed man amusing. Nevertheless, they still weren't close enough to openly admit they were friends. _

_He stared at a lamp. The same lamp that Hinata was fond of conversing with, to be specific. He didn't want to talk about the blind girl in such a manner. _

_"You agree, ne?" Hidan asked. _

_"Hn..." _

_"I don't fucking speak weasel, man. Yes or no?"_

_He waited for an answer that never arrived. He smirked. That Uchiha was such a gentleman. _

_"So you think the blind bitch is ugly?" he questioned. _

_That was his new nickname for Hinata. She didn't mind, really, since it was just a part of Hidan's personality. She didn't mind blind jokes, either, unlike Itachi. _

_Itachi shook his head. Hidan's plan was working. He got a response other than a neutral "Hn."_

_"Slutty?"_

_The Uchiha shook his head again. _

_"Fat?"_

_He shook his head again. Hinata actually seemed underweight after her 4 years in the wilderness._

_"_Flat?_"_

_Itachi turned around and stared at Hidan. _

_"Are you on something, Hidan?" the Sharingan-user questioned. _

_Hidan smiled at his success._

_"So you admit that she's got a fucking big rack!"_

_Itachi turned away, facing the lamp once more._

_"My eyesight isn't _that_ bad..." _

_Hidan laughed, falling back against the couch. Itachi was starting to think that he really was on something. It was hard to tell at times, since he's always insane. _

_"You've been getting out of your empty-ass cave more, y'know..." _

_"That's because you barge into my 'cave' and drive me out," Itachi retorted. _

_"Heh... It fucking works, though."_

* * *

><p>"So how do you make your chakra control better?" Momoko questioned.<p>

Chakra control seemed to be the key to becoming a shinobi. The Suzuki had no idea how chakra control worked. Hinata tapped her finger on the table, thinking.

"Does there happen to be a lake or pond in this town?"

Of course not. They were in the middle of _nowhere_. No trees, no ponds, no lakes... **It must suck living here. **

"Um, no, but there's a fountain in the middle of the town," Momoko answered.

"Lead the way."

* * *

><p>Momoko led them to a large fountain that was in the heart of the town. Water burst from the middle, creating a large geyser. It was about two feet deep, and it was littered with coins. Hinata stepped on top of the water's surface, as if it was frozen solid. People were starting to stare at Hinata as she walked on the water. <strong>Shinobi?<strong>

"To walk on water, you need to put enough chakra in your feet to match your weight, and you won't sink," Hinata said.

Momoko formed a hand seal and attempted to walk on the water like her teacher. She only created a large splash, getting herself wet and shifting a few coins that resided on the bottom. Hinata laughed a little, knowing that her student was probably frustrated.

"Pretty difficult, isn't it? This is supposed to be training to help with your chakra control."

"Try taking off your shoes," Hinata suggested.

The Suzuki laid her sandals on the edge of the fountain, and made an effort to imitate Hinata. Once again, there was a splash. Hinata turned towards her wet student, and shook her head. Momoko felt a little discouraged, knowing that she what she was doing was wrong.

"Just focus on your feet, and your feet only."

"Hai..."

She formed a hand seal, aiming for the chakra to rush towards her feet. Hinata gave a thumbs-up to signal that the Suzuki was doing well. The water rippled as Momoko stepped on to it.

She started to celebrate in her mind, still concentrating on focusing the chakra towards her feet. Then, her footing started to dissolve as she sank. More water was splattered into the air.

"Did I mention that the amount of chakra you need changes?"

The Suzuki felt as if she was never going to master this trick. She was foolish for thinking she could actually become something.

"It's okay. I was supposed to teach you how to climb trees with no hands, but there are no trees around here. We could've used a wall, but you could've broken a few bones."

"Walking on water is more difficult than climbing a tree with no hands. A lot of people have difficulty with it at first, so you're not the only one," Hinata told her Momoko to comfort her.

That comforted the Suzuki.

"D... did you have trouble with it?" she replied.

"Yeah, it took me two weeks. I almost thought that I'd never master it. Just keep practicing, okay?"

"_Two weeks?_" Kyo scoffed.

Masami shot Kyo a scowl.

"What am I, a Sharingan-user?"

_**Yes.**_

* * *

><p>"Anyway... There are five types of chakra natures: fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water. Everyone has a natural affinity for a nature."<p>

"Any questions?" she asked.

The Suzuki had a few questions that she wanted to ask, but she decided to keep quiet. They were stupid questions, anyway.

"There's no such thing as a stupid question. You're new to this, so you probably have a lot to ask," Hinata stated, as if she was psychic.

She hesitated, not knowing if it was appropriate to ask. She was certain that Masami wouldn't mind. Masami wouldn't get mad at her. She was being _encouraged_ to ask questions.

"A-ano... W-what's your nature?" she asked, after gaining courage.

To answer her student's request, Hinata tossed a shuriken in the air. Any bystanders near had their eyes locked on the weapon.

"_Fire Manipulation: Single Blade_."

Hinata brought her arm down low, and then swung it upwards. A thin, blue stream of fire sliced upwards, following Hinata's movements, cutting the shuriken in half. The fire vanished after the shuriken was cut. Momoko had an obvious expression of admiration and awe on her face.

The pieces of shuriken dropped, a mere centimeter away from Hinata. She was completely unfazed by the fact that she was almost cut, though. The teacher picked up the remains of her weapon, storing them in her pouch. **One broken shuriken, and one awe-struck student... **

**I wonder if I can still use the shuriken. **Perhaps she could use superglue to fix it. Maybe duct tape would do the trick. After all, duct tape fixes everything. It'd be a waste to just throw away the shuriken if she could still use it. In the wilderness, you had to make whatever supplies you had last as long as possible.

"W-wow!"

Hinata smiled at how easily impressed the girl was. It was an easy trick, but the girl's inexperience made it seem S-rank.

"I'm also attuned to water, but I'm better with fire."

**Blue fire. **Itachi stared at the blue fire, taken into a trance. It seemed so familiar. He looked at Hinata, almost squinting, trying to concentrate on who she seemed so similar to. That voice, that long hair, that playful personality... Who?

* * *

><p><em>"<em>Water Manipulation: Twin Blades_!" Hikari called out. _

_Two tentacles of water rose from the lake. Mikoto laughed. _

_"Blades? They look more like tentacles, Hikari," Mikoto remarked. _

_Hikari raised her right arm, swooping it down in one swift motion. Mikoto ceased her giggles, and jumped out of the way. The blade of water slashed her thigh, leaving behind a deep cut. _

_"Damn!" Mikoto complimented._

_Hikari smirked at her friend. _

_"Now you know why it's called _Twin Blades_."_

_Mikoto took out five shuriken, and threw them at Hikari. She formed hand seals, and her hands became infused with lightning. She swayed them outwards, creating a wave of lightning. The lightning caught up to the shuriken, charging the weapons with sparks. _

_"_Storm of Shuriken!_" _

_Hikari countered with her own shuriken. Mikoto suddenly appeared a distance behind Hikari. The latter twisted her body around, watching as Mikoto waved hand seals. _**Fire Release: Grand Fireball no Jutsu! **_She breathed out fire, the flames ready to engulf her opponent. _

_**Fight fire with fire. **__Hikari formed the same hand seals, ready to counter. _**Fire Release: Grand**_**er**_** Fireball no Jutsu! **_She breathed out blue flames that met with Mikoto's. The two battled for dominance, with Hikari slightly winning._

_Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, Fugaku, Hizashi, and Hinata watched from the dock with wide eyes, wondering who will win the "friendly spar". Itachi ate his rice crackers with anticipation. He never knew how skilled his mother was. Fugaku, Itachi, and Shisui watched with their Sharingan to keep up with their movements. _

_"D-damn! It looks like they want to kill each other!" Shisui commented. _

_"Ano... Th-they won't though, right?" Hinata questioned. _

_Mikoto fought back stubbornly, not willing to let Hikari's flames beat her own. _

_"They're rivals, so it's hard to say..." Hizashi answered. _

_Hinata chewed on an apple nervously, silently hoping her mother will win. She could literally feel the heat between them. _

_"Go Kaa-san!" Sasuke cheered. _

_Eventually, Hikari's flames took over. Mikoto hastily maneuvered away._

_"Looks like Hikari's too hot for Auntie," Shisui remarked, his mouth full of food. _

_Mikoto rushed towards her rival with a kunai knife. Hikari whipped out a shuriken, blocking the knife. _

_"A shuriken? Are you serious?" Mikoto asked. _

_"Keep an open mind, Miko-chan," Hikari stated. _

_"Stop calling me that," Mikoto demanded with a glare. _

_They fought, tools clashing and feet splashing. The splashes weren't necessary, but Hikari felt the need for both of them to get wet. As their weapons collided, orange sparks flew. _

_"Hikari-sama is crazy," Itachi said to Shisui. _

_The others only nodded in agreement. Hinata and Hizashi had their Byakugan activated to get a better look at the two women fighting. Sasuke felt excluded, being the only one who couldn't activate his bloodline limit. _

_"Stop splashing, Hikari!"_

_Hikari laughed, refusing to cease. Mikoto groaned, and kicked at Hikari's feet. In return, Hikari kicked back. _

_"What are they saying? I can't hear," Sasuke grumbled. _

_**If only I could read lips like Itachi-nii can with the Sharingan... **_

_"Mikoto-sama said 'Stop splashing, Hikari!' My mother only laughed in response and said that she was going to win," Hinata answered. _

_The four Uchiha stared at Hinata with shock. _

_"You can read lips?" Fugaku questioned. _

_"Hai." _

_She didn't think much of it. She just sorta knew what they were saying, even if she couldn't hear them. _

_"Told you she had good eyes," Hizashi bragged. _

_"I guess Hime-chan's eyes really are as good as Dango-chan's," Shisui stated. _

_"Don't call me that, _my dear cousin_," Itachi warned. _

_He glared at his older cousin. Shisui only laughed and smiled at the younger male. Itachi always did that whenever he was pissed. He still carried that trait today._

_"Whatever you say, _my sexy uke_," Shisui retorted, playfully slapping his younger cousin's ass. _

_Itachi let out a gasp, blushing. He restrained himself, not wanting to use violence to put his cousin back in his place. Fugaku snapped his attention towards Itachi and Shisui. _

_"Excuse me?" _

_"He's just joking, Father. I'm definitely straight," Itachi assured him. _

_Fugaku was comforted by Itachi's words. If one of his sons were homosexual, it'd bring shame to their name. _

_"Hah! You bet! Lemme tell you about this one girl–"_

_"_Bitch Slap no Jutsu!_" Itachi called out. _

_His right hand glowed with fie chakra as he bitch slapped Shisui into the water. Shisui fell, creating a large splash a good distance away from the dock. He swam up to the surface, with a burn mark on his left cheek. _

_"D-damn! That freaking burned!" he exclaimed. _

_Fugaku sighed in disappointment. _

_"You're not supposed to create childish techniques, Itachi," he reprimanded. _

_"_Splash no Jutsu_ is a _very_ useful technique," the Uchiha heir replied in defense. _

_Hizashi chuckled at the statement. He recalled the examples that he showed that demonstrated how useful the jutsu really is. _

_"He's right, you know." _

_"Nii-san! Can you teach me_ Bitch Slap no Jutsu_?" Sasuke requested excitedly. _

_Itachi smiled at his younger brother, ruffling his hair affectionately. _

_"Of course. Tomorrow," he promised. _

_"You are _not _teaching your brother how to bitch slap!" Fugaku declared. _

_For a moment, all they could hear was the sounds of weapons clashing. They stared at Fugaku after his strange outburst. Hinata froze in mid-chew, curious of what caused Fugaku to announce such a peculiar statement. _

_"What about _Pimp Sla_–"_

_"_No!_"_

_The weapons that the women had clashed so hard, they flew into the air, losing the elemental chakra. Hikari went after the knife, and Mikoto snatched the shuriken. _

_"'What the hell? I can't fight with just a shuriken! I want my knife back,' Mikoto-sama demanded," Hinata translated for Sasuke and Hizashi. _

_Hikari put her hand on her hip, and smirked. _

_"'Sucks for you, Miko-chan!' Hikari-sama retorted," Itachi read. _

_Mikoto charged the shuriken with lightning and flung it at Hikari. The electricity flowed loosely throughout the weapon. The latter barely managed to dodge, her sleeve cut and stained with blood. She held the wound, looking at the blood. Her right arm and hand now felt numb. _

_"I know this one! 'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'," Hizashi proudly told them._

_Right now, Mikoto had the upper hand. Unfortunately, Hikari was right-handed. Hikari threw the knife at Mikoto, though it was easily dodged. _

_"That's _Lightning Current_. If you get cut with it, you go numb because of the electricity. You can't block it, because it has the ability to cut through steel. Basically, you're screwed if you get stabbed with a kunai with _Lightning Current,_" Fugaku informed them. _

_"Wow, Kaa-san is so cool!" Sasuke praised, admiring his mother._

_Fugaku was proud to have such a strong wife. That was when he reminded himself to never get her angry. She'd definitely kill him if he got her pissed. And that's not an exaggeration. _

_Hikari raised her left arm, ignoring the numbness in her right. __**Luckily, my techniques don't require hand seals. **_

_"_Water Manipulation: Binding Snake!_" _

_A spiral of water rose, ready to coil around Mikoto. She jumped out of the way, summoning a clone. _

_The two fought until sunset, when they both collapsed out of exhaustion. Both had severe wounds. It was considered a draw, making them both equal. _

_"Those two go way over the top when it comes to spars..." Itachi stated, trying to ignore the pool of blood under his feet. _

_"Damn _straight _they do! We need a freaking medic-nin before they die!" Shisui agreed, tending to his aunt's wounds. _

_Hinata rubbed healing ointment on a dangerous gash located at Hikari's thigh. This happened all the time, but Hinata was still worried that they'd actually kill each other one day. Hikari kept on cackling like a mad woman. _

_"Stop laughing, Mother. The wounds will open," Hinata told her. _

_She obeyed, but still maintained that insane smirk. _

_"We're getting too old for this, Hikari," Mikoto complained. _

_She whispered curses as Shisui dabbed alcohol on her arm. He apologized, continuing with cleaning the slash. _

_"Oh, please. 50 is the new 20. We're basically still children." _

_"_You_ are a child, Hikari."_

* * *

><p>Itachi wondered if Hinata was the daughter of that deranged woman that rivaled his mother and bothered his father. She always looked familiar to him, but he just reasoned that it was because he saw her picture somewhere. She was the ex-heiress of the Hyuuga clan, after all.<p>

Did she remember him? Was that why she called him "Itachi-sama"? Was that why she was never afraid of him?

But if that was true, then that meant that Hikari was dead. That couldn't be true. She was too intelligent and strong to be killed by Hiashi. Something wasn't right about her death.

"Darn it!" Momoko yelled after yet another failed attempt at walking on water.

She was feeling really exhausted at this point. She was even starting to pant. **Chakra is energy, so I guess you get tired after using too much. **

"Don't just focus about putting chakra in your feet. You need a certain amount," Hinata stated.

* * *

><p>A jounin with shoulder-length, spiky brown hair and brown eyes walked up to Hinata. He wore the standard Suna shinobi outfit, with his black forehead protector on his forehead. There was a katana strapped on his back.<p>

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to question your reason for practicing ninja techniques in this fountain," the jounin stated.

Hinata turned towards the voice. **That chakra.. It belongs to a jounin. **She waited for Itachi and Kisame to react. She responded to the jounin when they did nothing.

"I'm teaching this sweet, little orphan how to protect herself in this cruel world, sir," Hinata replied innocently.

It was the complete truth, though it was a bit sugar-coated. Momoko scanned the jounin from head to toe. She instantly recognized him. The jounin took a glance at the Suzuki. Their eyes met before they both focused on other matters.

The young Suzuki looked past her shoulder to check out Kyo's and Satoshi's responses. They acted completely normal, focusing their attention on the jounin. **What did I expect? For them to whip out knives and start attacking him? **

"That doesn't mean you have to disrupt the lives of the citizens in this town. They came her to enjoy the serenity of the fountain," the Suna jounin told her.

**Disrupt? **She concentrated on the chakra signatures around her. They seemed to be moving around calmly, acting completely nonchalant. No screaming or running at the sight of shinobi.

"Is there a law that prohibits this?"

"No, but I'll have to supervise your teaching," the jounin answered.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you destroying any property."

Hinata nodded at the jounin, agreeing to the terms. Then, she realized that Momoko's chakra was worn out. The girl used too much while trying to master walking on water.

"Actually, we should take a break. You can go back to your job, now," she told him.

Momoko was relieved that the jounin would be leaving. It'd ease the awkward tension that she felt.

"Nice try. I have to keep an eye on you guys, just in case."

"I'm not fibbing. Momo-chan is tired from using up too much chakra. It'd be a crime if I distracted you from your mission," she replied, somewhat offended that he thought she was lying.

"I'm just a shadow clone. You're doing no such thing."

**Shadow clone? **That explained why Kisame and Itachi didn't attack. They introduced themselves to each other. Momoko found herself hiding from Masa, the jounin, for some reason.

"So he's your husband?" Masa asked, looking at Satoshi.

Satoshi looked familiar to the jounin, even though he knew they've never met before. He had this strange aura around him. He almost seemed suspicious. Masa threw away these feelings of wariness, since his wife seemed anything but dangerous.

He looked at Masami's eyes. She looked like a Hyuuga, but obviously she wasn't. If a woman from the Hyuuga clan got married, it was tradition for her family to live at the Hyuuga estate. **She must be blind. **

"Hai," Masami answered.

The jounin decided to make some friendly conversation with them. The little girl that was with them seemed to fear him. She was the daughter of the corpse.

No, he shouldn't refer to her mother like that.

After Momoko's mother was raped and murdered, Masa arrived. Regrettably, he was too late. That trembling girl in the corner was sobbing hysterically, whispering incoherent phrases, eyes clamped shut and hands over her ears. _Shock. _He tried comforting her, but it was such a delicate situation. He had no idea what to do.

When she was somewhat recovered from her traumatic experience, he took her to her home and explained the situation to her father. He really hated being a shinobi, sometimes. It hurts to be the one that has to break the bad news to people. It made him sick to his stomach to watch their horrified reactions.

They break into tears.

They collapse to the floor.

They try to deny it, saying that it must be some kind of cruel prank.

The reaction that broke him down the most, though, was when they just stared and calmly accepted the situation with an emotionless face, thanking him for the information. He knew how much their hearts were sinking inside, how their entire world collapses in just a few seconds. What haunted him the most was knowing that they'd spend years trying to get over that little piece of information he gave them.

He felt helpless. He couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't stay with them, helping them pull themselves together. Shinobi merely moved on, wearing their own emotionless mask. His mask was close to shattering.

The clone vanished with a puff of smoke. Hinata started to panic. **Did he recognize us? **

"Itachi-sama..." she whispered, out of Momoko's hearing range.

"We're safe," he assured her.

She bit her lip. Something made the clone vanish. It didn't seem like a good sign.

* * *

><p>As promised, they took their break. Momoko listened to the small talk that her teacher had with Kyo about some random things. Something about a dove drowning? Masami mentioned that the poem was actually a legend about the Hyuuga ancestor.<p>

Kyo was confused, wondering why she lied. She answered that she was sleepy and not feeling okay before, but now her head is more clear. Satoshi stayed silent, as if deep in thought. He analyzed the chat carefully, soaking in every word.

_To which the dove speaks, the love reeks. _

_Thy feather weathered by lies of thy ties. _

_Thou shan't speak a word in fears of the bird._

_With moon red as blood, the bird drowns in flood. _

_As it crosses the point of no return, the feather shall burn._

_To which the dove speaks, the love reeks. _

_May truth burn, may lies learn. _

_Let thine ashes spread to the one next be dead._

"Who's the poem about, then?" Kyo questioned.

"All I know that the Hyuuga ancestor is the dove."

The poem seemed so mysterious, yet so relatable. The dove could easily symbolize anything or anyone.

"Then what the hell is the poem is about?"

"Well, there's a bunch of meanings. I think it's a story," she rationalized.

"The Hyuuga ancestor says something that makes her relationship with someone rocky. She's suffering because of lies from her friends. Everyone is silent because they'd afraid of her. Then, she commits suicide by drowning herself and her body is cremated. The last part... is like a prophecy, I guess," Masami described.

They contemplated her interpretation. It actually did seem like a story, now that they thought about it. They'd never be entirely sure, though, since there's no official meaning.

"Perhaps you're next," Satoshi suggested.

Their attention shifted to the Uchiha. He didn't break his silence in vain. His words were diligently considered. It actually is a possibility that Hinata could be next..

"Why would I be next?" she questioned, slight fear in her eyes.

Itachi said nothing more after that. They cursed him for leaving such a conundrum behind, immediately putting their brains to work. Momoko was too baffled to find an answer, due to her lack of knowledge. Kisame was halfway towards the answer. Hinata froze when she realized her conclusion.

"I don't want to be next."

* * *

><p>Itachi turned around. He noticed the absence of a certain blind girl that was supposed to be pretending to be his wife.<p>

"Where's Masami?" he questioned.

Momoko turned around, noticing that Masami was missing.

"She went for a walk," Kyo answered.

She was probably fearful of the fact that she's going to be next, and took a walk to relieve her stress. She paced around the Akatsuki base whenever something bothered her. Only to be bothered by the fact that she was lost.

"You let a blind woman go for a walk by herself?"

"What am I, her bodyguard?"

"Yes."

Kisame blinked. He then remembered his role in the act.

"Why did I hire you?" Satoshi asked.

"Because I'm your best friend?" Kyo guessed, clearly unsure.

Itachi sighed. He scanned his surroundings. She couldn't have gone that far. _Hopefully_ she couldn't have gone that far.

"Did you ask her where she was going?"

"No, she just sorta left."

He couldn't find her anywhere in his range of vision.

"Which direction?"

* * *

><p>They walked down an empty street. Itachi closed his eyes, focusing on sensing Hinata's chakra signature. He tried his best to keep it a secret that he was somewhat of a sensor. It'd only spark jokes about how he needed his other senses to make up for his blurry eyesight.<p>

Itachi led them to a more dirty side of town, with empty cans and garbage lining the ground. Momoko was tapping her index finger against her thigh restlessly. What if...?

"I-is Masami-nee-chan alright?" she stuttered.

He glanced down at the orphan. Physically, she was definitely okay. Mentally...

"She's strong and smart. Trust her," the Uchiha assured.

Momoko still wasn't completely at ease. Even with all the persuasion in the world, she'd still be nervous. They stopped a couple yards away from an alley. Itachi could sense two chakras in that alley, and Hinata was one of them. Her chakra was depleting.

* * *

><p>"Stay here, Suzuki-san. You too, Kyo."<p>

Kisame raised an eyebrow, though he obeyed the commands. Momoko fidgeted, tears already stinging at her eyes.

"She... She's dead... Isn't she?" Momoko predicted.

"No, she's alive. Just stay here."

He seemed so sure of himself. How could she tell that he wasn't lying, though? He seemed like the type that could lie easily to others. Especially just to protect others.

Itachi stepped towards the alley, bracing himself for a gory image. A knife was held tightly in his right hand. He activated his Sharingan.

In the alley, a middle-aged man laid on the floor, wide-eyed with shock. He seemed to be under a genjutsu. Hinata stood near him, staring at her hands. Her eyes had a faint glimmer of crimson in them.

Her pants were loud. She fell to one knee in exhaustion. She put her hands over her eyes, letting out a small whimper. Itachi rushed to her side.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" he asked.

He tried to take her hands away from her eyes. She winced. There was blood. Her eyes were bleeding. Tears were forming in reaction, trying to wash away the blood.

"I... I didn't know..." she said in between pants.

He tried putting his hand on her shoulder, to signal that he was there. She instantly jerked away.

"I didn't know! Don't come near me!" she yelled desperately.

"Hinata, it's just me," Itachi said quietly, as if afraid of scaring her away.

She took her hands away from her eyes, and looked at him. There was a faded black pattern in her eyes. It was difficult to see the pattern, though.

Her sight was blurry, but she could still make out Itachi's figure. He matched Konan's description.

"I-itachi-sama..." she stuttered.

She needed to wash her eyes before they got infected. She blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the stinging sensation. Her eyes soon returned to normal.

Hinata dried the blood from her face, and wiped her hands on her cloak. A few seconds passed before Hinata figured out where she was.

"What happened?" he asked.

"His chakra was suppressed... We went for a walk, and he attacked me..." she explained.

It felt awkward to say that her Sharingan activated. He was able to fill in the blanks, though.

It was weird having the Sharingan when you were originally a Byakugan user. There were major differences, and she had no idea how to use the Sharingan. Using the Byakugan was natural, but the Sharingan was a different story. The Byakugan also didn't make your eyes hurt like _hell_.

"He looked at your eyes?" Itachi guessed.

She nodded. She let out a sound of pain.

"Does this happen to all Sharingan-users?" she questioned.

"No," he answered.

**Only with the Mangekyou Sharingan. **Could she have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan? No, you have to kill the person closest to you to awaken it. He was pretty sure she hasn't killed anyone in her life. She was too pure for murder.

It was probably because of the fact that she's not an Uchiha. When someone outside of the Uchiha clan awakens the Sharingan... It never happened before, so he has no idea what her symptoms will be like. The fact that she's blind and her Sharingan is trying to activate is a whole different story.

Her eyes didn't bleed last time, though. Was it because she cast a genjutsu with it?

* * *

><p>Kisame and Momoko entered the alleyway, despite Itachi's instructions. Momoko was shocked to see the man that killed his mother on the ground. She rushed towards Hinata and Itachi.<p>

"Masami-nee-chan!"

The orphan was crying tears of joy. She was so relieved that Masami was alive. Her teacher looked worn down, but other than that, she was fine. Masami smiled.

"Have some faith in me, Momo-chan," she told her as she ruffled the younger girl's hair.

A jounin jumped down from a building. She had green eyes and black hair tied into a bun, and wore the standard Suna jounin attire. A katana was strapped at her waist. She stared down at the rapist.

"Good Lord! You took him down?" the jounin questioned, surprise in her tone.

"Hai," Hinata responded.

"Need a medic? I know someone who knows some basics," the katana-user offered.

"No, I'm fine..."

She took out a radio from a pocket, and pressed a button on the side.

"This crazy blind chick took down an S-rank criminal!" she announced.

Hinata found it rude to be referred as a "crazy blind chick", but thought for a second. **I really am a crazy blind chick, aren't I? **

_"S-seriously?" _a voice recognized as Masa's stuttered in disbelief.

_"No way!" _a female voice replied.

"I was shocked too! Must've packed one hell of a bitch slap," the green-eyed jounin confirmed.

_"Damn it, we're not getting paid," _a male voice complained.

_"That's the second blind girl I've heard of that can kick some serious ass," _the female voice stated.

Itachi was certain that they were the same person.

The jounin told them her coordinates. They informed her that they'd arrive in 5 minutes. The black-haired jounin took out chakra-suppressing handcuffs, and proceeded to handcuff the rapist.

"Call me Risa," the jounin told them.

"I'm Satoshi, this is my wife Masami, this is Momoko-san, and that's Kyo," Itachi introduced them.

Momoko was hiding behind Satoshi. She was fearful of any shinobi that looked official, since it sparked memories. She didn't trust anyone except Masami and Satoshi. She was okay with Kyo, but wouldn't trust him with anything she felt was too threatening.

Hinata's eyes watered. Her eyes stung so _fucking badly_. Risa's expression softened. That poor blind woman must've been traumatized.

"You okay?" Risa questioned.

"She has an eye condition. We need to find some water to wash her eyes," Itachi explained.

"... Oh."

Kisame spotted a faucet a couple of yards away. He turned it on. Brown water started to come out.

"God! That's nasty!"

He turned it off. This side of town must be really poor.

"I thought you knew water jutsu."

Kisame almost face-palmed. He never thought of that before. **I'm an idiot. **He summoned a water jug from a scroll, and used a water jutsu to fill it with water. Once it was filled to the rim, he gave it to Itachi.

* * *

><p>"Lay down," he told his pretend wife.<p>

She followed the instructions. Hinata was actually a bit scared. She heard of tales of how Itachi's genjutsu were all torture-themed, and remembers reading about water torture. Strap your victim to a table, and then pour jugs of water on their face to stimulate drowning. It's even more terrifying when you're blindfolded.

"I'm scared," she admitted, sitting back up.

"Of what?" Kyo questioned.

"Drowning."

"How the _hell _can you drown?"

"Waterboarding. The victim is restrained and water is poured over the face, giving them the experience of drowning," Itachi answered.

Of course Itachi Uchiha would know. He's a torture artist. He used to read books about torture when he was just 9. Mikoto was worried about him, but Fugaku didn't care.

"Just trust me, Masami. I'm not going to hurt you."

Masami sighed, laying back down. She didn't want her eyes to get infected. Satoshi poured the water gently over her eyes. It was going well until Masami sat back up when her husband poured too much water, causing some of it to go up her nose. She coughed, trying to get the water out.

"My hand slipped."

Risa now understood why his own wife didn't trust him. She obviously knew him well. He sorta _did_ look like the type that could murder just on a whim... She didn't want to judge a book by its cover, though.

* * *

><p>Though as false as it sounded, it was actually true. His hand really <em>did<em> slip. It slipped the first time, too. He never wanted to hurt anybody.

(Except maybe Hidan. He's immortal and his body heals itself, so it didn't matter. Besides, he could be a pain in the ass at times.)

If he had the choice, he would've became a medic-nin. He had excellent chakra control and a fair knowledge about herbs and the human body. Itachi would much rather heal a stab wound than cause it. He didn't have that choice, though.

Fugaku didn't give him that choice.

The clan didn't give him that choice.

The village didn't give him that choice.

_Nobody_ gave him that choice.

The only option he was given was murder. It was his unwanted talent. The world practically revolved around who died and how. He was pressured into becoming an assassin.

It kept Fugaku happy.

It kept the clan happy.

It kept the village happy.

It kept _everybody_ happy.

But it didn't keep _him_ happy. He tried to make a change in his repetitive life, but only gained a lower self-esteem. The river forcibly caused him to follow its unscrupulous flow. There were countless times when he felt like drowning himself.

It was impossible, implausible, _hopeless._ His fate was chosen from the start. Even if he decided to change his ways, it was too late.

He's not a sadist. Torture just... fascinated him. Never mind the fact that he somewhat enjoys the screams. And ignore the fact that sometimes he thought about his victims while he was having his_ personal time_.

* * *

><p>She continued coughing, and blinked rapidly to get the water out of her eyes. They still stung, but it felt more relieved than before.<p>

"Do your eyes feel better?"

"Yeah..."

The blind girl took time to recover, rubbing her eyes every once in a while. **Did I really...? **She replayed the scene back inside her head. The memory was so perfect, so vivid; _all_ of her memories were. **The Sharingan... That explains so much. **

**Does that mean I can use all of those techniques I saw back in Konoha? **She started to wonder why she wasn't at the same level as Sasuke if she had the Sharingan. What was holding her back?

She tried not to think about her flaws. Instead, she chose to focus on the current stood up, and walked over to the man.

Kisame watched as Hinata patted the man down. **Is she trying to rape the rapist? **

"What the hell are you doing?" Kyo questioned.

"Pick-pocketing," the blind girl answered.

That made more sense. The rapist probably stole money from the women he kills, so he must be loaded.

"That's illegal, Ma'am," Risa informed her.

"Where do you think he gets his money from?" Masami retorted.

**Good point... **

"Um... What if he wakes up?" Momoko questioned, looking down at the rapist.

**If he does... **Momoko bit her lip, distracting herself from her thoughts with the pain. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he_ did_ wake up.

"He won't. He's under a heavy genjutsu," Masami answered.

The Suzuki sighed in relief. She knew that her teacher wasn't lying. If Satoshi wasn't lying when he said that his wife was still alive, then Masami wasn't lying about the man not waking up.

"Besides, we could kill him..."

"That's also illegal, Ma'am."

"That's also how he gets his money."

**Good point...**

She made it down to his waist, where she found two large lumps. One had the sound of metal inside, and the other had the sound of paper and coins. Masami/Hinata smirked in victory.

"Jackpot."

She tossed them both at the orphan. Momoko looked inside, her eyes wide.

"I need money, too, you know. You two don't even pay me," Kyo stated.

"That's because you don't earn it," Satoshi retorted.

**Good point... **

"Momo-chan needs it more. How much is in there?"

The Suzuki started to count the money that was inside. She was lucky that she met Masami. She got weapons, money, food, some fighting lessons, and a new haircut. She strapped the two pouched around her waist.

* * *

><p>"I should teach you how to use weapons," the teacher said to her student.<p>

Translation: I should teach you how to use weapons to mug people.

She took out her own kunai, and held it in her right hand. Momoko took out a knife from the knife that was now hers, and held it in her left hand. Masami demonstrated the right way to hold a knife, and Momoko tried her best to imitate her teacher.

Risa supervised the two girls, making sure the older one doesn't teach anything bad to the younger.

"There are many ways to protect yourself with your weapon."

Translation: There are many ways to mug others with your weapon.

"Which way do you want to learn first?" she questioned.

Translation: Do you prefer stabbing or throwing?

"Umm... Long-distance," the orphan answered.

Masami flung a shuriken in the air, then threw a kunai in the middle. The shuriken was pinned to a wall by the knife.

"W-wow!" Momoko stuttered, once again amazed.

"Copy what I just did," Masami instructed.

She stared at the knife and shuriken.

"I-I can't do that."

"Don't doubt yourself. You may not be able to do it now, but you _will_ be able to do it later," Masami replied, trying to build up the younger girl's confidence.

"C-can you at least teach me how?" the Suzuki requested.

"I can't teach you everything. You have to figure out things by yourself, too," Masami declined.

Kyo shot the blind woman a questioning look. It was actually futile, since she wouldn't be able to see it, but that didn't matter to him.

"That's bullshit! Teachers are supposed to teach! Hence the term, _teacher_," Kyo responded.

Masami flipped her long hair to the right. It looked pretty cool, like in those movies. She also brushed some hair away from her face.

"She can learn through experience."

**What a lazy-ass teacher... **

"The key is accuracy, timing, a good grip, a good stance, and practice. Throw the shuriken in the air, then time your throw so that the kunai goes straight through the hole and pins it to the wall."

Oh yes, a short description of what she already knew she needed helped a lot. She decided not to sass her teacher, though. She took out a shuriken, and attempted to fling it up in the air. _Attempted. _She ended up throwing it sideways towards Satoshi. He took out a knife to block it before it hit him.

"G-gomenasai!"

"Just be more careful, Suzuki-san," Satoshi replied.

Momoko blushed, looking away as soon as she saw him gazing directly at her. She knew that she shouldn't be lusting over her teacher's husband. Could you blame her, though?

* * *

><p>Two of Risa's teammates arrived, jumping down from a building. Masa turned his attention towards Masami. <strong>So it really was her. <strong>

"You said five minutes. You two took_ thirty_-five," she complained.

A female with short, choppy brunette hair and dark brown eyes laughed nervously. She was the genjutsu-user that was in the file. She wore a tan blouse with long sleeves which had three slits in them, a fishnet shirt underneath, and a matching skirt. Her forehead protector was worn around her neck.

"Well, we got sorta lost..."

"_Lost? _This village is four times smaller than Sunagakure!"

"Kame-san kept leading us in circles," Masa explained.

He honestly had no idea why he let her lead. They all knew how bad her sense of direction was. _Masami _probably had a better sense of direction than her.

"Where's Bishamon?"

A man with short, black messy hair and light brown eyes walked in with a donut in hand. He wore the Sunagakure vest with a fishnet shirt underneath and shinobi pants. His forehead protector was on his forehead, and slightly tilted to the right.

"Yo!" Bishamon greeted.

"Where have you been?" Risa inquired.

"Figured that since the job was done that I could get something to eat," he answered.

Masa stared at his teammate's donut with desire. He hasn't eaten anything since last night, since he was so anxious about the mission. Regret churned in his stomach.

* * *

><p>"So how'd you catch him?" Masa asked.<p>

**"After he hit me, I was taken into a disturbing flashback, which put me under great emotional stress. The stress caused my Sharingan to activate, which trapped him under a genjutsu." **She couldn't say that. Even if she did, they wouldn't buy that shit. Hell, she barely bought it herself.

What was she _supposed_ to say, though? What story could she conjure up that would explain how a blind girl took down an S-rank criminal singlehandedly? She was an S-rank criminal herself, but she didn't even fight him. She just _looked_ at him. You could barely even call it a fight.

Wow, Itachi must get bored in battle a lot. He took down _Orochimaru_ with just glare. The last time he had a real fight was probably when he killed his clan, and even that was too easy for him.

"Um... Well, I had a hunch that he was the criminal since his chakra seemed suppressed... I knew I was no match for him, so I had a strategy."

"What was the strategy?"

"Stall until Satoshi no danna saves me."

**Nice strategy. **Their attention was now shifted to Itachi.

"So how'd you catch him, Satoshi-san?"

"Sneak attack. Luckily, my wife put up a good fight and he was already tired from the struggle. I put him under a genjutsu," Satoshi answered smoothly.

"And you both came out without a scratch. Pretty cool," Bishamon complimented.

"I'm good with defense," Hinata said, trying to make the story seem possible.

Kame looked at the little girl next to Satoshi. She recognized her as the daughter of the victim that Masa was trying to comfort. **Shouldn't she be with her dad?**

"Hey, kid, where's your dad?" she questioned.

Momoko's face saddened, but urged herself not to break into tears. She's done that enough times today. **I'm not going to be a baby... It's just a word. Nothing more, nothing less.**

"Suicide," she answered.

She broke into tears as soon as the word came out her mouth. Kame's eyes widened. She had no idea! She didn't mean to make the girl sad.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry!" the jounin immediately apologized.

Masa became even more depressed. He could've prevented the deaths, but he didn't. Now Momoko was suffering because of _his_ mistake. **It's all my fault. I can't fix it. They're past... the point of no return. **

"So, um... Shouldn't you be with your relatives or something?"

**They can't hurt me now. **She tried thinking of flowers as a diversion for her horrifying memories. She still wasn't able to answer the question.

"D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C A-B-U-S-E," Masami whispered.

**I'm such an idiot! **

"Oh God! Oh God! I'm so sorry!"

Masa felt even worse. He felt like a _monster_. He was even worse than the people that caused her pain, because he _let_ it happen. He was an indirect cause of the Suzuki's suffering. **I'm going to hell.**

* * *

><p>"I'm becoming a shinobi," Momoko announced to them, hoping to lighten the mood.<p>

Masa stared at the ground. His teammates busied themselves with congratulating her and giving her words of motivation. **They're wrong. **They were bathing the girl in lies, trying to keep her happy, trying to keep her pure. He wasn't going to let the girl shatter when those naive assumptions were proved wrong. Like how she assumed that her parents would never die, or how her relatives were going to be nice to her, or how the world wasn't full of grief and anger.

"Why would you want to become a shinobi? The shinobi life isn't that great. It's full of war and blood and tears," Masa told her.

The room went silent, filled with an uneasy tension. His teammates were shocked at Masa's pessimistic point of view. Is that how he looked at his life? They had no idea he hated being a shinobi. Were they really that ignorant of his true opinions?

It was cruel to shatter those optimistic thoughts of a good future. Wasn't it the right choice, though? She needed to grow up at one point, whether she liked it or not. She should be warned of the dangers ahead, unlike the other gullible children.

"I know," Momoko stated.

Masa blinked, baffled. If she already knew, then why does she still go ahead with her choice? Is she just going to ignore the warnings?

"She's gonna pull an Itachi," Masami told them.

Itachi responded at the mention of his name. _**Pull an Itachi?**_** Is that what they're calling it, now? **Kisame found it hilarious that they named a slang term after his partner.

"_No,_" he instantly denied.

Hinata gave a small laugh, signaling that she was only kidding. Though a part of her wasn't kidding.

"Um... What does 'pulling an Itachi' mean, Onee-chan?"

**She's **_**that**_** sheltered?** Hinata was surprised that the Suzuki didn't know. Most likely, her parents wanted her to keep her innocence. The real world must be shocking to the young girl. She laughed again, knowing it'll be fun to get Momoko's pureness dirty.

Itachi, on the other hand, didn't want to shatter Momoko's naivety. He wanted her to live in her happy world as long as possible. That's what childhood is about. It was something that he never got, but wanted children like her to maintain. For this reason, he'd sacrifice anything for Konoha.

"You–"

"–She can find out when she's older," Itachi interrupted.

If Hinata wasn't blind, she would've stared at her fake husband with a "Da fuq?" expression on her face. She was perplexed by his desire to preserve the sugary sweetness of childhood. He already spoiled his younger brother's youth.

Kisame was already used to the Sharingan-user's morality. He still questioned it, though. The bastard was mysterious. Hinata was going to have a difficult time being familiar with the Uchiha's ways.

"Isn't it better if she found out now?" the blind girl asked.

"She can find out when she's older," he repeated.

The jounins could understand both of their points of views. It was tricky to choose which side to be on. They both had reasonable debates and consequences. The girl could either keep her innocence, or have it slowly chipped away while understanding why things happen. They only watched the two go back and forth, trying to make a decision of their own.

"Being innocent is the same as being naive; being ignorant of the things around you."

If Hinata was still a shinobi of the Leaf, she wouldn't have dared to argue with Itachi Uchiha. She would've kept her opinion to herself, as she did with many things. Since she wasn't, she actually had the confidence to create a conflict with the S-rank criminal. She had nothing to lose that she actually cared to keep.

Besides, the current circumstances kept her alive. Itachi didn't judge or use violence. He was a good person with ethics.

_Too good. _Why isn't he like the rest of the Akatsuki? His behavior almost made it seem like that he wasn't the man that slaughtered his kin. In fact, he was nicer than Sasuke. _Nicer than Sasuke. _He made Sasuke seem like the real jerk. Perhaps it was because he _is_ the real jerk.

"Why not keep her naive?" he responded, as calm as ever.

"My mother taught me about these things the second I was able to understand words," she told him.

She was raised knowing what death was, why it happened, and how. Itachi felt sympathy for her. She had an upbringing as harsh as his was. She really wasn't as innocent as she looked. It was broken from the start. **This is how Fujiwara-sama raised her?**

"Your mother was a nut," he stated.

He instantly regretted his words. He shouldn't be saying bad things about the dead. They might start haunting the Akatsuki base. It was _so true_, though...

Hinata wasn't offended. She already knew that her mother was insane. _Everyone_ who knew her mother knew she was crazy. She smiled, and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... She was. After telling me about how this guy was drowned in a lake, she threw me into that same lake. I almost drowned, and I was pretty traumatized..."

They stared at her with a look of surprise. Her mother was _horrible! _Itachi already knew of Hinata's mother's ways, though. It sounded like something she would do.

"She saved me, of course. I forgave her. It was kinda funny in a cruel way," she said, defending her mother.

Hinata's name is a pun on her surname, since Hinata is another way to read the kanji for Hyuuga. Her mother gave her that name in hopes of her daughter developing a good sense of humor. Dark humor also ran in her blood. That's why she was still able to laugh after sinking into the darkness. _A Byakugan-user going blind. The irony!_

The ex-Hyuuga still acknowledged the fact that blindness was petrifying. If another person, say Sasuke, were to go blind, he probably wouldn't be able to cope well with it. The darkness is suffocating, no matter how many times you try to fill it with artificial light. She cracked her knuckles.

"I have a good sense of humor... Which is why I _laughed_ at my mother's funeral," the blind girl said with a sweet smile.

Momoko was now glad that her parents were good to her. **Why am I crying? There are people with lives that are even worse than mine. **At least she was given time to be carefree and without disturbing nightmares of death. She should cherish the bright memories she had with her parents instead of sulking. She should laugh when she fell instead of cry, and get right back up, just like her teacher.

Itachi was intrigued by Hinata's opinion of comedy. She laughed at her own mother's funeral. Did that mean she held hatred for her?

"I really love and miss her, though. Her teachings helped–_ help_ me a lot. She was a good person. She really was," Hinata told them, once again defending her mother.

Her smile was sad, mourning for the loss of her mother. She looked like she was remembering something of the past, as any other person would do when thinking of a dead person.

Itachi focused on Hinata, studying her expression. **Does she hate or love her mother? **She had two opinions of her mother that severely contrasted each other. Both emotions were undeniably honest.

Why is he judging her, though? He knows exactly what it's like to have these clashing beliefs of a deceased person. After all, he never knew what to think of his father.

Yet Hikari's murder seemed so fictional...

* * *

><p>"So how'd she die?" Kisame asked.<p>

That's exactly what Itachi wanted to know. How_ did _she die?

Masa felt like the only one that winced at the question. Asking about how someone's mother died seemed so cold, so _harsh_.

No, Masami also winced slightly. **Strange... She laughs at her funeral, but doesn't like talking about how her mother died... **

Itachi noticed Momoko hiding, probably because she was hiding behind him. Hinata wasn't the only one hurt from speaking of this topic. Although she_ was_ the one who brought it up...

"Well, she–"

"–We're not going to talk about this," Satoshi declared.

Risa glanced at Satoshi, then at Masami, then at Momoko. Satoshi was unexpectedly much more merciful than his wife. And less bipolar. **From now on, I'm reading the reviews before I check out a book. **

Hinata sighed, crossing her arms.

"Now we're back where we started. I say we go straight ahead and discuss this."

"Innocence... is like a crystal vase. It's really pretty and fragile, and you want to preserve it and look at it. But it has to break at some point."

"It doesn't have to break," Itachi argued.

"It _has_ to. If you try to keep it forever, then it'll probably shatter all at once. The shards are really sharp and will end up hurting others. It _can't_ be put together again. The vase will be _gone_."

"Sometimes the vase was ugly in the first place," she added.

* * *

><p>Kisame was soon reminded of the vase that he gave Itachi. Was that the same vase that caused that shower incident? Wait, then that would mean Itachi put the vase in the bathroom.<p>

"Did you shatter that vase I gave Satoshi?" Kyo questioned.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" she responded.

"The vase shatters, there's blood, and water..."

Hinata's face blushed a bright pink at the memory.

"And a short towel... And some touching..."

Momoko stopped hiding, and gave a confused look at her blind teacher. The jounins followed her example. Only Bishamon nodded, completely understanding everything. **What the hell?**

"... And an angry shinigami cussing..."

"Hah! I've been there," Bishamon commented.

The others had no idea how an angry shinigami cussing related to the story. Were they reading Bleach, or something?

"What the _hell_ happened?" the Momoko and the jounins minus Bishamon inquired eagerly.

"If you want attention, then just tell me," Itachi said to Hinata.

Hinata's blush grew deeper. It sounded so wrong. And it almost sounded like it was _meant_ to sound wrong. The jounins (excluding Bishamon) shifted in awkwardness, which Momoko didn't understand. Kisame just side of Itachi was amusing.

Hinata didn't dare to speak, in fears that she'd stutter like crazy. **I-itachi-sama... **The situation was actually completely sexless (much to many people's disappointment), but it seemed dirty when you thought about it. In an instant, her face donned a look of realization.

"Is _this_ what you were talking about?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I still think we should tell her. There are already a few cracks in the vase. If we're not careful, the vase will end up shattering because of the cracks."

"Don't they teach them in the academies?"

"No, I heard that they stopped teaching them to save money."

Good Lord! How did his younger brother learn about the process of reproduction? Does he even know? Does _Hinata_ even know?

"So who taught you?" Kisame asked.

She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"My older cousin," Hinata answered with her signature blush.

"You mean the one–"

"–Ew! No! Not him!"

Hinata wanted to throw up at the idea of Neji teaching her what sex is. Momoko blinked, starting to comprehend what they were talking about.

"_That_ talk?"

She was scared of getting _that _talk. Especially with Masami and her strict approach and bad background.

* * *

><p>Hinata actually didn't want to be the one to give her the talk. She just knew that the orphan needed to get it, before she goes insane or something. Itachi obviously had no intention of explaining. The same went for Kisame and the jounins. HinataMasami blushed, poking her fingers together as she did in the past when she was nervous.

"A-ano... Satoshi no danna... C-can you give me some attention?" she shyly requested.

She only wanted to avoid the problem, but if he did give her some _attention_... Maybe he could teach her a jutsu. She was dying to learn a new fire or water jutsu.

"Oh hey! I should probably take the criminal to the interrogation place in this town," Kame told them, not wanting to end up the victim.

"You _suck_ with directions. I'll lead," Bishamon replied, with similar ideas.

"You'll probably get lazy and get another donut. I'll make sure you don't goof off," Risa announced.

Masa started to panic. He didn't want to be the one to explain how humans reproduce!

"I'll go, uh, guard you two," Kisame said.

"You can guard Suzuki-san. We'll be fine. It's not like you're getting paid," Itachi responded.

**Fuck you, Itachi! **They started to leave, going along with their excuses. "Satoshi" and "Masami" quickly walked away, with Satoshi's arm around his wife's waist. Risa, Bishamon, and Kame disappeared in a blur with the rapist. Kisame mentally cussed the Uchiha out.

"W-wait!" Masa tried telling his teammates.

Masa looked at Kisame, wondering how they were supposed to explain. Before he knew it, "Kyo" was already gone without even a proper reason. Momoko and Masa were now alone in the alleyway, with an awkward silence hanging in the air.

He couldn't just _leave_ her. That would be rude, and the girl would be all alone. It was his fault that this happened, anyway. **I hate karma. No, I **_**despise**_** it.** Dread gathered in the katana-user's gut.

"Um... Well..." he said to her, thinking of how to explain.

* * *

><p>"I-itachi-sama..." Hinata whispered, her face still red.<p>

"Yes, Hinata?"

One might say that the color of her blush resembled a cherry. The way he said her name... Plus, he still had his arm around her waist. She fumbled with her words, unable to gather the right combination to form a proper sentence.

Every time she thought about the shower incident, it made her stutter and blush. It didn't seem like a big deal before, but now...

The same went for the accident with the bed. Sasori's words still echoed in her ears. **"Itachi must've known Hinata was in the same bed as he. After all, he allowed her to cuddle up to him." **

"Please speak clearly, Hinata."

She felt like some kind of lovesick puppy. Those two incidents probably meant nothing to him, so it should mean nothing to her. The fact that his arm was still around her waist was probably because of the act. Yet it still sounded like he was putting some kind of emphasis on her name.

"... N-never mind."

They continued to stroll around, stepping over papers and bottles. **It's completely empty... Why is his arm still around my waist? **Her blush only darkened at the realization. She neither shrunk away nor towards Itachi.

* * *

><p>"The Mangekyou Sharingan is awakened after a Sharingan-user kills the one closest to them," Itachi mentioned.<p>

He shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. They didn't even know when Hinata's Sharingan activated, let alone the Mangekyou Sharingan. Hinata's emotions of uneasiness only supported the theory. But then again, it could be because of his arm.

"So Sasuke-kun would have to kill you to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan," she replied, trying to understand the concept.

That response was unexpected. He almost expected her to talk about her mother instead of his brother. Maybe even about killing one of her friends to somehow get rid of her blindness. It'd be in vain, since the Mangekyou would only make her blind again.

"Why would I be the one closest to him?" he questioned.

"He cut his other bonds... It doesn't seem like he wants to cut his bond with you. I mean, it's a bond of hatred, but you're still technically the one closest to him since he's so focused on you," she answered.

That really _is_ true, isn't it? He was going to have to make some adjustments to his plans if that were the case. He dearly hoped that his younger brother would never discover the dark truth behind the massacre.

"It's not like he could kill Naruto-kun, since I doubt that he could tame the Kyuubi."

"It's possible."

* * *

><p>At the Akatsuki base, Sasori slammed his tools into the ground in a fiery rage. Kakuzu and Deidara raised an eyebrow at the puppet-master, wondering what caused this sudden tantrum.<p>

"It's Itachi, isn't it? I'm going to murder that bastard _so_ badly..." he swore.

* * *

><p>"The Sharingan can do that?" Hinata questioned excitedly.<p>

**That's so cool! **Now she was rethinking her plans of gouging her eyes out. Taming the Nine-Tailed Fox was a _very_ useful skill. Sasuke probably wasn't scheming to domesticate the Kyuubi, but Hinata was writing a few things down in her mind.

"Yes," he answered.

**How does he know? **The Sharingan might be able to control regular foxes, but how would Itachi know if it would control something of a larger scale? It must've happened before. The pieces of information clicked together, forming a new fact.

"A Sharingan-user was behind the Nine-Tail's attack on Konoha?" she inquired.

He told her too much. She wasn't stupid; she could figure things out easily. He just felt that she deserved to know, since she also had a Sharingan. He told Sasuke, after all.

How did Sasuke not figure it out? Was he just too young to understand? Though he should've looked back at the information later, and eventually come up with the conclusion... Is Hinata smarter than him? Or is Sasuke just stupid?

"I'm saying it could happen," he replied, neither denying nor confirming her hypothesis.

* * *

><p>She nodded, accepting his answer. He was starting to fear that she'd be able to figure out the entire truth from that one fact. She knew how one thing could lead to another, which would lead to a disaster. That was why the Hyuuga clan was falling.<p>

Would others be able to figure out why the Uchiha clan fell by observing how the Hyuuga clan was falling? What if history repeats itself?

... Fuck.

"Do you know what will happen after the Hyuuga clan falls, Hinata?" he questioned.

"What? Oh. Of course. It'll become an international crisis. The other villages will attack and steal the Byakugan, which will give them the advantage. The Fourth Shinobi War will break out."

_Fuck! _She was cooking up a _shitload_ of chaos, and she _knew_. He closed his eyes, calming himself down. There had to be something that could prevent it.

"Those outside of the Hyuuga clan won't interfere. The conflict lies mostly within the clan, which can easily be solved with their cursed seal," he said to her.

The Uchiha never knew the day would come where he would thank the gods for the existence of cursed seals. Everything will settle down, letting the village remain in peace. Hopefully Hinata will abandon the idea, learn to forgive Hiashi and her old friends, and will return to the village. She'll contribute to their intents of bringing Sasuke back, and everything will be just _fine_.

"Unless it breaks," she proposed.

**It can't break. **That glint in her eyes suggested that she was sure that the seal would break. She appeared confident with her guesses. That meant that she tested the theory.

"You figured out a way to break the cursed seal?"

It sounded like more of a statement than a question. She gave a small smile.

"I'm saying it could happen."

**Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. **_**Fuck! **_He usually never cussed this much in his mind, but now was an exception. Her scheme was too genius. It was probably more likely to work out than Pein's goal of peace.

Why must war be so much easier to cause than peace?

"Ano, are you okay, Itachi-sama?" Hinata asked him with concern.

He must've accidentally said that last curse out loud. Itachi regained his composure, shoving his troubles aside. There's still time. The war wasn't going to start tomorrow. _Hopefully._

"Yes, why do you ask?" he replied, trying to hide his mistake.

"No reason... I must be hearing things."

* * *

><p><strong>She's so amazing. Why would anyone forget her? <strong>He hadn't even realized that they stopped walking. She was in front of him, blushing as he caressed her cheek. **She's been blushing a lot more, lately... **

"I-itachi-sama..."

**And stuttering. **

"Hm?"

She fidgeted a bit, trying to stall her response.

"Ano..."

Hinata really needed to inform the Uchiha of something, but she was too hesitant about it. His answer might scare her. **Should I tell him or not?**

She bit her lip. She was being too slow. He was probably getting annoyed with waiting for her. She _had _to say something. **Now or never. Or later... **

"D-do you think your younger brother is gay?" she blurted out.

**Stupid! **She could've hit herself at that moment for asking such an idiotic question to Itachi Uchiha. That didn't mean she wasn't curious of his answer, though... He was Sasuke's older brother, so he should know, right? Itachi surely would've picked up any signals towards Sasuke's sexual orientation.

The reason why she happened to bring that subject up at that moment was puzzling to the Uchiha. He was expecting something more... intimate. Maybe, "I-I wouldn't mind being your wife, Itachi-sama," or, "C-can you... give me some attention now, Itachi-sama?" **My imagination is too wild. **

Maybe Hinata would run her delicate fingers through his long, raven-colored hair. Then, she'd hesitantly touch his well-built chest. She'd stutter his name in a whisper as quiet as the wind, and lean closer towards his fiery touch... **And vivid. **

He shook his indecent daydreams away. **I need to stop spending time with Hidan. **How could he be arrogant enough to assume that Hinata was just as crazy for him as any other shallow teenage girl? She was _different_, a reason why he liked her. Though he wouldn't mind if she _wasn't_. **Note to self: Find a jutsu that can lock doors. And lascivious fantasies.**

What was her question, again?

"It's a thought worth thinking about," Itachi stated, hoping he wouldn't somehow offend her.

That's a yes. **I knew it! **If even Itachi thought he was gay, then he must be gay. The theory was tested many times, supported by accurate data. Conclusion: Sasuke is homosexual.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Itachi-sama."

* * *

><p>She still had to tell him. He might not even care about it. Now was the perfect time to announce it, since they were alone. There might not be a more perfect time than that moment. <strong>Say it. Just say it. <strong>

She poked her fingers together, as she did many times in the past. Some habits couldn't be broken. Her blush grew deeper after her embarrassment of stalling.

"D... do you think I'm strong, Itachi-sama?" she asked him.

It was nothing of his concern. He had no reason to get angry, and she had no reason to be afraid. What she _should_ be fearful of shouldn't even be his reaction. It should be the thoughts she was pondering about.

"Yes, you're very strong," he assured her.

**Say it! He won't care! It's **_**my**_** decision, not his. **She took a deep breath. Her choice was final. Nobody was going to change the emotions she had in her mind and heart. It didn't matter what he thought about it; she didn't care. She just wanted an opinion.

"S-strong enough to take on your brother?"

**There! I said it! **Her heart was pounding rapidly. She had a feeling that Itachi was able to listen to how nervous she was. Hinata instantly regretted her words. She wasn't strong enough. He was probably going to tell her to train more. **Please don't ask too many questions. **

Itachi certainly wasn't expecting that. She looked as if she was ready to confess her love for him, or something. **I need to be more realistic. We haven't even known each other for a full month, yet. **

He eliminated all irrational guesses and focused on what was real. Hinata wanted to fight his younger brother. She might even be planning on _killing_ him.

It made sense. She was jealous of the attention that he got, knowing that Naruto only saw Sasuke and not her. She was gone for four years, and her friends hadn't noticed because of him. Sasuke was everything that Hinata wanted to be.

"You're jealous of him," he rationalized.

_**Jealous? **_That hypothesis was so far-fetched, so _inane_, that it made her want to laugh. In fact, she _did_ laugh. Why in the world would she envy such a naive, monomaniacal _imbecile_ like him?

"I don't crave acknowledgment. The reasons why I deserted my village are much deeper than the neglect and abuse I've been through," she denied.

Itachi should've known better than to just assume such a thing. He had other reasons for his betrayal, also. He was arrogant to label her so carelessly. What remained after she declined the popular belief is a mystery behind her real intentions.

"Sasuke-kun is a problem. He has the potential to be a solution," she told him.

**A solution? **At least he knew that she wasn't planning his funeral. She wanted to manipulate him to her own advantage. That meant, in the best case scenario, that she was going to return him to the Leaf. In the worst case scenario, she'll be recruiting him in the Akatsuki...

"What are you planning?" he questioned.

It appears that he's always asking her that question. Something was telling him that he'd ask the same question many times in the future.

"I really don't know, yet," she confessed.

"I might just end up fighting him just to test my power. "

**"... to test my power..." ** The same excuse he told Sasuke during the massacre. Is she really going to do this on a mere whim?

"Do you plan on killing him?"

She shook her head, confirming his relief.

"I like fighting, but I'm not the type that goes around murdering people. I haven't even killed Hiashi," she answered.

That put Itachi at ease. Even if she did intend to use Sasuke as her pawn, he'd still be safe. His safety was Itachi's top priority. He'd sacrifice his life just to ensure that his sweet, pure younger brother was protected.

"Can you train me, Itachi-sama?" the blind girl requested.

* * *

><p>The Hinata Retrieval Team was currently taking a break, much to Naruto's and Neji's reluctance. Kurenai sat on a tree stump, isolated from the others. The woods were always reminiscent of her students. The forest was where they went on tracking missions together, where they trained, where they strolled just to get some fresh air. It was basically their common environment.<p>

The red-eyed jounin could still recall the Hyuuga's– _ex-Hyuuga's _tendency to train alone at night. The Byakugan-user– _ex-Byakugan-user _would always work herself half to death, until she was on the ground, coughing up blood. Even then, her student– _ex-student_ would persevere to stand back up. She worked so forlornly to catch up to meet her clan's standards, but it'd never be enough. Kurenai could tell that Neji's diatribe was still a cold slap across the face.

Perhaps it still is. Her abandonment of the village could've symbolized her need to show that nobody was going to tell her who she was and what she should do. It's always been a challenge to get her to express herself. She wasn't even able to state her goals during the introductions.

_Her goals. _Kurenai instantly recognized the diary that was found in Hinata's room. She used to take it out at random times, jotting things down. The jounin always thought that she dedicated it to Neji because of their twisted relationship as cousins. Who knew that she was actually planning on destroying the cursed seal on his forehead?

It was in plain sight, secured by nothing. She didn't even hide it well. It was just in a locked jewelry chest, with the key on the nightstand. Kiba or Shino could've easily snatched it from her, reading its contents.

Maybe the fact that they thought it was her diary was enough protection. After all, it contained her darkest thoughts...

It was Kurenai's fault that Hinata left. The female jounin could've trained her better, could've improved her confidence, could've cheered her up. She _should've_. A student is only as good as her teacher. She was a failure–

"–Stop trying to spy on me, Kakashi. I'm trying to sulk."

Said jounin jumped down from a tree branch, revealing his location. He smiled under his mask, raising his hand to signal his greetings. The gray-haired jounin lazily sauntered towards the black-haired jounin.

"I tried telling you she was plotting world domination. You never listened," he told her, hoping to lighten the mood.

Kurenai sighed. She was actually scared that he was right.

"What the hell am I thinking? That's bullshit."

"She might."

"The Hyuuga clan's fall could just be step one. Then, the village would come next. She'll keep toying with each village until she had each one under her control. She'll spread her control to every country, effectively conquering–"

"_–Bullshit._"

Kurenai smiled at Kakashi, letting out a few laughs. His plan was successful, much to Kakashi's relief. A depressed Kurenai is equivalent to a bitchy Kurenai. _Nobody_ wants a bitchy Kurenai.

* * *

><p>"You know, she was more of an Uchiha than a Hyuuga," Kakashi commented.<p>

Kurenai was confused at his remark. Just because Itachi and Hinata had rumors didn't mean Hinata is an Uchiha. Sasuke and Hinata aren't _that _alike.

"What do you mean?"

**I hope this isn't more crazy bullshit.**

"She knew how to read lips, right?"

Kurenai nodded. **Just like... **That was a skill of hers that was very useful, especially when combined with the Byakugan. If only she weren't blind...

"She also knew how to forge people's handwritings," he added.

The genjutsu-user tilted her head to one side. She never remembered that.

"She always uses someone else's handwriting instead of her own. Haven't you ever noticed that her reports are always in _your_ handwriting?"

Kurenai blinked. She just thought that Hinata's handwriting was similar to her own. She's never seen the other types of handwriting that Hinata used. **Just like...**

"I tried teaching her_ Fire Release: Grand Fireball no Jutsu_," he brought up.

Kurenai rolled her eyes. Did he really think that Hinata had the Sharingan, or something?

"She got it right the first time."

**Just like... **Kurenai's eyes widened. That wasn't very Hinata-like. Usually she'd have some trouble at first. She sat up straighter and shook her head.

"That doesn't mean anything. Luck, maybe."

"But that means she's a fire-type."

**Just like...**

"A lot of people are fire-types. _You're_ a fire-type. You don't have to be an Uchiha to have fire nature," she responded.

Kakashi nodded. **True... **

"It was strange, though. She used blue fire," he described.

"Just like..."

Kurenai cast a confused look towards Kakashi.

"What the _hell?_ He never used blue fire."

Kakashi could tell that she was thinking of _him_. He couldn't blame her. He was also guilty of comparing Hinata to others.

"I was talking about_ her_."

Kurenai pondered over the the pronoun. Who did he mean by _her?_

"Hanare?" she guessed.

Kakashi's mood instantly fell, becoming a very visible blue. **Why did she jump?** She loved him. Maybe he loved her. Was she _that _miserable with her life?

Of course she was that miserable with her life. She didn't have a family, a village, or a friend. She had _nothing_. The only thing that kept her alive were the clouds in the sky. He could've been the second thing that kept her alive...

"No... The teammate I had in ANBU that failed every mission._ On purpose_."

Why was she even accepted into ANBU? She refused the tattoo, never showed up for important meetings, and always complained about the village. She was actually_ right _about her opinions, but...

"Gomenasai," she apologized after noticing how depressed Kakashi got.

He quickly recomposed himself.

"She also had a way with animals..."

**Just like...**

"Akamaru just likes her," she replied.

Kurenai shut her eyes, remembering the times when everything was so simple. All she had to worry about was her crush, training, and tutoring a young boy in genjutsu. After that, it became so complex. The nostalgia brought tears to her eyes.

The bittersweet memories always highlighted how tragic the present really was. They underlined the mistakes she made. Nothing could rewrite the past. Those memories might as well be erased.

* * *

><p>"What's your point?" she asked.<p>

Her voice was cracking with grief. Her eyes were watering, tears freely flowing down her face.

"I'm so sorry. You've been through so much," he apologized.

She bowed her face into her hands.

"It's happening again... History keeps repeating itself..."

It was almost like destiny. Those harsh words that Neji regretted were true. She was doomed to go through the same cycle, over and over again. Why did she even bother getting back up after she fell?

"I feel so horrible for not wanting to bring her back. I just want her to be happy. Maybe she_ is_–"

"–Don't say that. We can still fix our mistakes. She's not dead, yet," Kakashi responded, wanting to fill hope into both of their hearts.

Tears rained onto the soft ground. Kurenai tried to be as quiet as possible with her sobbing, so that the kids won't see her like this. She was supposed to be a role model.

"She's _been _dead, Kakashi. She was dead from the start."

Kurenai could tell how numb Hinata was while she was in Konoha. She had to fake emotions to fit in, to get people to not treat her like she was weak. Every smile was a scream for help. **Just like... **

She broke out into loud, uncontrollable sobs. She had no control of what she wanted and what she could have. They were all going to leave her. **I was such a fool to think I could help people!**

"We'll fix that. I promise. When she comes back, she'll buy an apartment where we'll visit all the time, we'll eat ramen together and laugh, we'll train to protect the village..."

"You're fooling yourself!_ She_ was right._ He_ was right. They're gone! The least we could do is make sure they're happy."

He really is fooling himself, isn't he? How idiotic of him to try to trick others with false hope. He had to stop promising these unbelievable things. It'll only hurt more after you discover the true outcome of things. They needed to get realistic.

He was at a loss for words. He couldn't encourage her thoughts, but he couldn't deny them, either. Perhaps the three really are out of reach...

_No. _

They _are _out of reach.

* * *

><p>Masa walked alongside Momoko, reviewing his current failed task. He didn't have the guts to explain sex to the orphan. The poor girl watched her mother get raped. He could've ended up sending her into a panic attack. She needed therapy before learning about reproduction.<p>

Instead, he ended up teaching her a few things about weapons and bought her a bag of marshmallows and candy corn. They were looking for Masami and Satoshi, so Masa could inform them that the girl needed was nowhere to be found.

The two turned left. **I really hope they're not in the middle of... **He shook his head clear of such profane thoughts. What mattered at the moment was keeping Momoko safe, mentally and physically. It'd be a _hell _of an awkward moment if they walked in on them.

The two stopped, finding exactly what they were looking for. Just not what they were expecting. Masa questioned what Masami's version of sex was.

Their knives clashed, orange sparks flying. They were perfectly in sync. His move was her move, and vice versa. Every hit was reciprocated. Shuriken were thrown, both being deflected at a random direction by the other.

Even the backflips were identical. The two formed the same hand seals, activating Grand Fireball no Jutsu. The jounin was starting to panic. Yes, he was scared of the death match happening before him, but he was also worried about the surroundings. The whole village would burn down.

"Stop!" he yelled in the middle of their deep breath.

Satoshi and Masami finally noticed their presence. The jounin sighed in relief when they obeyed his instructions. Momoko, however, was disappointed that the fight had to end so soon. She was curious to see what effects of the jutsu they were about to use.

"Oh, hey!" the wife greeted.

"Are you two trying to _kill _each other?" he questioned.

They both took time to consider the answer. From their point of view, it probably did. To them, it was just regular training. The two finally understood why their mothers always end up almost killing each other during a friendly spar.

"It's called 'training,'" Hinata replied.

Momoko was eyes were widened in wonderment. Masa's were in shock.

"You train by attempting to_ murder _each other?"

"Is there another way to get stronger?" Itachi responded.

Masa gaped, unable to form words. **Even the Legendary Sannin don't train like that!** Yet the two had the same effects as a regular shinobi would have after ordinary training. It suddenly made perfect sense why they weren't shinobi.

They were clearly too badass for villages.

"You two train like S-rank criminals," he remarked.

That had nothing to do with the fact that they _are _S-rank criminals.

Not at all.

Must be genetics. Yup. Genetics.

"Can we train again, Masami-sensei?" Momoko requested, obviously inspired.

* * *

><p>Momoko regretted her decision. She was now stuck doing simple, repetitive fighting exercises. Satoshi and Masami sat in the sidelines, lazily munching away on the candy that Masa bought.<p>

Masami reasoned that Momoko was too scared for training with a partner. From the way she winced whenever she was merely tapped, it was evident that she was still traumatized from the abuse. She had to slowly learn that you have to fight to prevent getting hit. She needed confidence and courage.

"Where's Kyo-san?" Masami asked Masa.

Itachi hadn't even noticed that his partner was missing. He was too preoccupied with other thoughts to focus on Kisame. He looked around, checking to see if the sword-user was just nearby and hiding his chakra signature.

"I have no idea," he admitted, staring hungrily at the candy corn she was eating.

Masami could sense that her student was getting bored. And that the jounin was starving. She pondered over which situation to address first.

"Do you want some?" she asked the jounin.

"Yeah," he confirmed, trying to keep the hunger out of his tone.

She was about to hand the bag of candy to him, but Itachi took it. He gave it back to his blind pretend wife.

"Candy is bad for you. You'll get obese and slothful, and then you won't be able do your job. We're allowed to eat candy because we're clearly fit. You, on the other hand..." Itachi responded.

"What? I'm not fat. I haven't eaten in nearly three days," he replied in defense.

"Make it three months."

He earned a small laugh from Hinata. Masa, both sleep-deprived and starved, felt the symptoms of killing intent. Masami generously handed her bag of candy to the jounin, keeping her husband safe from the Sand jounin's wrath.

* * *

><p>Hinata let out a yawn, her expression speaking of a sleepless night. Even with the sugar, she couldn't stay awake. She leaned towards Itachi, whispering something into his ear.<p>

"Nightfall," he answered.

"I'm so tired..."

Masa tensed. **What are they talking about...? **He shook the thoughts away. He was getting too dirty-minded, nowadays.

"Sleep, then."

"I can't. It's been a long time since we've..."

Her voice trailed off as she was interrupted by a yawn. She couldn't even remember what she was saying.

"We did that this morning," he responded.

She finally recalled her sentence after some thinking.

"It wasn't enough, though."

Masa tried to mute the conversation. How could they be so open about their sex life like this? Did they really think that they couldn't be heard? He was _right next_ to them.

She let out another yawn. She closed her eyes, not yet asleep, but barely conscious.

"I told you to rest last night. You insisted on continuing."

Masa shifted awkwardly. He didn't need to know about Masami's neediness.

"Gomenasai," she apologized, half-knowing what she was saying.

He pulled her close to him, so that her head was resting against his shoulder. She wasn't even awake enough to blush and stutter at this. He almost liked it better this way. It was so much easier to be close to her.

"Sleep," he told her.

"I can't..."

"Bad dreams?" he guessed.

She nuzzled her face into his sleeve.

"Bad reality."

Itachi held onto her tighter, as if scared to let go of her. He could relate. He sacrificed everything for his younger brother, and then someone decides to screw it all up. Of course, that person is her, but it's not like she did it intentionally, right? _Right?_

* * *

><p>"I'm scared," she confessed, her blush hidden.<p>

There were a lot of things for her to be afraid of. They could range from her past to her future. An S-rank criminal's life wasn't an easy life.

"Of what?"

"Snakes."

**Snakes? **The innuendo immediately reminded him of the two spies that attempted to gather information about her. _Orochimaru._ He was starting to take an interest in her. But why? What use could he have for an ill, blind girl?

... Unless he already knew that she wasn't blind. Fuck. A Hyuuga with the Sharingan was something that the damned bastard would like to get his hands (and tongue) on.

Oh,_ fuck_. Are they being watched right now? He closed his eyes for a brief moment, checking the area. No, they're safe. For now.

"There are no snakes here. Worry about that later," he comforted her.

* * *

><p>Hinata released all tension, finally giving in to sleep. He tested her forehead with the back of his hand. She still had her fever, but her temperature wasn't as high as before. She cooled down by a degree or two. Rest was the best choice for her.<p>

Stress could've cursed her with the fever. She seemed delicate enough to get herself worked up into sickness. It could also be that disease of hers.

The Uchiha took a deep breath, then released it. **I need to protect Hinata. **His choice wasn't biased by any kind of emotion for her, or influenced by his duty as her guardian. It was based solely on the fact that they'd all be in some deep shit if the Snake Sannin got a hold of her.

He is completely confident, almost to the point of cockiness, that he was stronger than Orochimaru. He took the bastard down with just a simple glare of the Sharingan; not even the Mangekyou was needed. Hinata, on the other hand, isn't. She's a very capable S-rank kunoichi, but Orochimaru is on a completely different level. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya couldn't take him down.

* * *

><p>Her breaths were slow and steady. It seemed that she would be peaceful for a while before the nightmares kicked in. If it was too fast, then it'd be assumed she was in the midst of a malicious flashback. Too shaky, then she was probably about to go into another coughing session. She was at a perfect balance, blissful in her realm of fantasies.<p>

The folds of her kimono were adjusted in a way that revealed the hidden pouch she kept her weapons in. It was open, with a piece of crimson cloth hanging out of it. It strangely looked a lot like the cloth of a forehead protector. He recalled that the forehead protector she wore around her neck was black. Does she really carry around two slashed forehead protectors?

No, that was unlikely. Should he risk taking a look at it in exchange for his curiosity being eased? _Curiosity killed the cat. _It's probably nothing, anyway. Maybe a ribbon to tie her hair with.

He's never seen her hair in a ponytail before, though. He shook the thoughts away. He wouldn't take things without permission. If it was really important, then he'd discover the answer later.

Itachi put his arm around the blind girl's waist, shifting their position slightly. Just slightly enough for whatever was in her pouch to reveal itself more. Technically, it wouldn't be stealing. He straightened out her outfit, acting as nonchalant as you can get.

* * *

><p>Hinata let out a soft moan, inching herself closer to the heat source next to her. Nobody needed to worry about her having a nightmare. She definitely is having a <em>very<em> vivid dream, though.

He stared, astonished by her reaction. **Sensitive... **Well, of _course_ she's sensitive. When you're blind, every sensation is heightened.

_**"Blind girls make better fucks, you know?" **_Damn Hidan's voice for being so right. She'd probably be a_ freak_ in bed.

"_Itachi-sama_..." she murmured.

Oh,_ God_. Why did she have to say his name like _that? _He shifted himself, hoping that nobody would notice his awkward problem. This was one of those moments where he thanked Pein for the design of their ludicrous uniforms.

He noticed that Masa was attempting to subtly scoot away. He probably didn't hear whose name she sighed out, only assuming it was Satoshi's. Luckily, Momoko was too immersed in her training to notice. Even more lucky that Kisame was gone. Where the _hell_ is he, anyway?

She moved her head to his lap. _Fuck_. He finally understood why Hidan used that word so often. Sometimes, that word was the only way to describe a shitty situation such as this.

**Think of something repulsive. **Fucking a dead puppy. That's what his mind conjured up. It was wrong on three levels: pedophilia, necrophilia, and bestiality. And homosexuality, if it was a boy.

* * *

><p>It'd probably help if she'd move her face away from his arousal... He tried to adjust her pose. She was wide awake when the sound of metal clanging against the concrete reached her ears. Years of sleeping in a tree have made her a light sleeper. She kept her eyes closed, acting as if she was asleep. <em><strong>Please<strong>_** be a shuriken or kunai. **_**Please**_** be a shuriken or kunai. **_**Please**_** be a shuriken or–**

"My dear wife... I know you're awake," he stated.

She opened her eyes, knowing it was useless to fool anyone at this point. She bit down on her tongue in panic, then cursed inwardly when she realized she was biting too hard. **Oh shit, that hurt!** The taste of blood was identified. She gripped onto her kimono tightly.

"It's just a shuriken. Go back to sleep," Itachi told her.

She almost sighed in relief. **Thank God... ** She would've had a heart attack if it were actually her slashed forehead protector that fell. A hand blindly groped for the weapon. After she located it, the shuriken was returned to its original place.

The Uchiha was thankful that it was merely a ribbon tied to a shuriken. It must hold some kind of sentimental value towards her. The edges were slightly rusted and the metal was specked with dried blood. It could most likely be the shuriken that saved her life on multiple occasions.

* * *

><p>"You were moaning in your sleep," he whispered in her ear.<p>

As expected, her face flushed with a brilliant red. Itachi was quite pleased with the results. Her reactions always managed to satisfy him.

"I-I-I-I..."

She had no idea what to say. Fluent words were unable to flow out of her mouth.

"I-I'm sorry!" she whispered.

Itachi smirked. It was the first smirk in ages that wasn't faked so that he'd live up to his lies. This was the truth, and nothing but the truth.

"You did nothing wrong."

* * *

><p><strong>Review more! Lemons shall be placed wherever I feel like placing them, to give more of an element of surprise. Btw, do you like longer chapters better, or shorter chapters? And do you want "Why Would You Care, Uchiha Boy?" to be updated, too? Answer in the reviews!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Ehh... This chapter isn't as long as the previous. So sorry! I know this story sucks; it's my first. You should probably read _Perfect Heir_, which will be a new story. Enjoy my shit!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>She was blushing, completely embarrassed by his statement. Her dream wasn't about them having sex or anything! Yet a part of her actually wished they had intercourse in her dream.<p>

Her face was stained a deeper red. He_ heard_ her moans. _Itachi Uchiha_ heard her _moaning_.

Hinata fainted, not being able to handle this much stress. There were myriad subjects on her mind. Usually she was able to cope with it, but events like this always tipped her out of balance.

Itachi caught her as she fell towards him, securing her in his arms. He immediately rued his actions. Her temperature rose a few degrees. She was at about... 103 degrees Fahrenheit. She was showing every symptom in the medical books he memorized for his ANBU training.

He didn't know she'd_ faint_. Yes, she's had a rather chaotic week ever since she joined the Akatsuki, but who knew she'd get herself so worked up like this? She's as fragile as the vase she shattered. Hopefully she wouldn't shatter, also.

"We need a medic-nin," he informed the jounin.

* * *

><p>Momoko froze in mid-strike, her mind painfully aware of what was going on. Masa immediately took action, informing his other teammates. Itachi remained tranquil, smoothing down Hinata's hair.<p>

"I-is Masami-nee-chan going to live?"

He remained silent. It really is possible that she could die, isn't it? She's under such harsh conditions, and she's so delicate...

She can't die, though. There's so much ahead of her, so much potential. He just met her a few days ago. Her old friends were just starting to realize how much she really mattered to them. She finally climbed up to where she wanted to be. Everything _can't _go downhill from here.

And it won't. He won't let it happen. Nobody will let it happen. Especially not herself.

"The medic's on her way," Masa informed them.

It'd be his fault if she died. _Completely_ his fault. He's the one who accepted her into the Akatsuki, who let Konoha know that she still existed, who put all of this tremendous pressure on her.

How did this happen? Just yesterday, she was playfully chatting with Hidan and Konan and having a jolly good time. Just an hour ago, he was promising to himself that he'd protect her no matter what.

Things couldn't end _now_. Not like this. Everything was finally getting _started_. It couldn't end so soon.

She can't cross the point of no return.

"Satoshi-san?" Momoko pleaded.

Itachi took a deep breath, regaining composure. He couldn't be pessimistic or optimistic. He had to be_ real_istic. **Breathe in, breathe out. **

"Worry either when she starts coughing up blood or her temperature rises to 108 degrees," he told her.

Momoko took that as a good sign, slightly relaxing. Little did she know that there was a lot to worry about.

* * *

><p>As promised, the medic-nin arrived. Unfortunately, that medic-nin happened to be the same one that was supposed to be attending a dinner party with the Sand and Mist. Apparently, she snatched the wrong map in her hurry.<p>

Itachi is in some real deep shit.

He only thanked the gods that she wasn't coughing up any blood, yet. He suddenly cursed the gods when she started coughing. He knew exactly where it would escalate to.

Shizune's glowing hands hovered over Hinata's chest, trying to find the source of her coughs. She continued coughing, despite the medic's efforts. Shizune's eyebrows furrowed in frustration and confusion.

"Do you happen to know what disease she has?" Shizune inquired.

"Masa-san, please take Suzuki-san somewhere else," he requested.

The jounin nodded, leading the young girl away. It seemed that he'd always be stuck with her in her times of deep stress. They both knew that Satoshi's answer must be a horrid one if he asked them to leave.

"She said the doctors called it Pulmonary Tuberculosis," he told her, his voice hushed as if Momoko had super-sensitive hearing.

"Her lungs are fine. Same with her heart and other organs."

Itachi showed just the slightest hint of surprise, which for an Uchiha, meant that he was utterly shocked. **If it's not Tuberculosis... **The coughs vanished, much to their relief.

"What is it, then?" he questioned.

"Her flow of chakra around her lungs is the problem. I have no idea what's causing it. I'm sorry, but I can't fix that."

Shizune scrutinized the woman's face. It reminded her of a certain stuttering Hyuuga. And a certain powerful Fujiwara.

"Has she been stressed, lately?"

"Things have been rather disastrous, recently."

The medic-nin nodded, understanding the conditions. **Same with everyone else. **

"Make sure she gets a lot of rest and that she eats. You might want to strip her so that she'll suffer less. The fever may get worse if she gets too stressed."

He nodded, accepting the advice. **Strip her...? **The idea of having her take her clothes off somewhat bothered him. He already saw her in nothing but a towel, but that towel happened to cover a lot. He didn't want to intrude on her privacy, but it was necessary if he wanted her to live.

"What's her name?" Shizune questioned out of pure curiosity.

"Masami."

"Surname?"

"Unknown."

"What village did she come from?"

"It's never been revealed."

"What's your relationship with her?"

"Spouse."

**Such a secretive woman...** There must be a lot of love in their relationship if he can cope with her. Or a lot of sex. Or a lot of money.

"Tell me if it gets any worse."

"Hai. Arigato gozaimasu, Shizune-san."

* * *

><p>Shizune smiled before disappearing in a blur. Itachi sighed. He gently shook Hinata, as if she would shatter from the slightest movement.<p>

"Hinata..."

She made a few small sounds before her eyes fluttered open, only to see darkness. She seemed in a daze, as if she couldn't figure out if she was still asleep or awake. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

"Take your clothes off."

Once again, her face glowed with a red the same shade as their organization's clouds. She fainted, her eyes shutting just as quickly as they opened. Itachi almost face-palmed himself for his mistake. He liked her naturally shy disposition, but it was troublesome at times like these. **I wish I told her about the soldier pills. **

He shut his eyes as he began to remove her cloak. He then proceeded to remove all the items hidden in her sash before loosening the kimono. It was mostly money and weapons. He started to wonder what she kept inside of her bra, but bit his tongue before the subject moved to her bra size.

The Uchiha was lucky that she wore a fishnet shirt and denim shorts underneath. He wouldn't know what he'd do if she was just in a bra and panties. Well, he had a few ideas, actually...

The clothes were sealed away in a scroll for safekeeping. Itachi then attempted to wake the blind girl, again.

"Wake up, Hinata. I promise not to make you faint this time," he whispered.

No response. She only shifted on her side to get a more comfortable position. He decided that it'd be much easier if he carried her. He picked her up bridal style, sauntering towards where Momoko and Masa were.

* * *

><p>The two looked very similar to an actual married couple as he carried her. He didn't expect to see a blond woman talking with the jounin. Momoko was obviously uncomfortable, fear showing in her eyes. <strong>Please don't be her relative. Please don't be her relative. Please don't be her relative. <strong>

"Who's this?" he questioned.

"Her aunt," Masa answered solemnly.

If only Itachi had the ability to switch bodies with Hinata. He'd give anything to just run away and let somebody else handle it. But he couldn't do that. It was a part of his OCD to clean up any mess in front of him, even if it isn't his.

The blonde woman smiled as innocently as she could, although the facade was instantly seen through. There was clearly a glint of mischief in her eyes as she directed her gaze to Itachi. A sexy man's life was never an easy one.

"Call me Madoka," she said.

"Satoshi," he replied, not striving for politeness.

It was apparent that an awkward, tense silence lingered heavily in the air. Madoka decided to ignore it, maintaining her fake personality. Hinata stirred, able to sense the pressure even in her sleep.

"H... Hatori-kun?" she mumbled.

At least she didn't say "Itachi-sama." Hopefully she won't blow their cover. Who the hell is Hatori, though? The name seemed vaguely familiar to him.

"Can you walk, Masami?"

He doesn't want to carry her around all day long. She's not that heavy, but he would rather assist her than having him do all the work.

"No... I'm dizzy... It's so weird being dizzy while blind..."

Sensations are heightened without sight. She must be living in hell right now. His mind randomly shifted to what she'd feel if she got drunk. Hidan would probably blindfold himself and drink a dozen bottles of sake just to test began to study Hinata's face.

"Is your friend–"

"–_Wife_. She's my wife."

Madoka surely isn't going to stop any future advances towards him, but he just felt the need to assert that. He really wasn't in the mood for any desperate girls seducing him. He'll try to be as nice as he can, but sometimes a harsh approach was necessary.

"Excuse me. Is your _wife_ sick?" she corrected with more than a hint of irritation.

"You could stay at my house for the night, if you want," she offered with ill intentions.

"Hn..."

He was actually planning on leaving by nightfall, but it seemed that wouldn't be happening. Isn't the hot springs trip this Friday? Pein will probably extend the deadline since this is the mission that's supposed to be earning his money. **If he wants money, he can get it by himself. **

"Sounds like a yes to me," Madoka stated, a lame attempt at being humorous.

* * *

><p>They entered the blonde's home. It had the sickening smell of a surplus amount of air freshener, as if they were trying to hide the scent of a corpse. Itachi was starting to have even more suspicions than he had before. The house was excruciatingly clean. Seems like Itachi isn't the only one with an OCD.<p>

Masa found himself staring upwards. He had a strange habit of observing the ceiling whenever he entered a room.

"Nice chandelier," Hinata complimented before Masa even opened his mouth.

They stared at her with a look of curiosity and surprise.

"I thought she was blind," Madoka commented.

"She_ is_ blind," Satoshi confirmed.

Itachi laid Hinata down on the overly neat bed. He covered her with a cerulean blanket.

"Are we in a hospital?" she asked.

"No, we're in Madoka-san's house," Itachi informed her.

The temperature is so cold that it may as well be a hospital. It smelled exactly like a hospital, too. The only thing missing is a shitload of poisons and chatty, underpaid was a soft, hesitant rapping on the door. The couple instantly knew who it was. Itachi gave his approval for her to enter. The girl was dressed in new clothes and had a violin case clutched tightly to her chest.

"Ano... Is Masami-nee-chan alright?" she asked.

Of course, Hinata wasn't Itachi's only concern. Momoko was something to worry about, also. She looked just as tense as she was when they first found her. Normally people would be more comfortable in their own home. But she's not in her own home, is she?

"Physically, she'll get better. She just has a fever," Satoshi assured the child.

**Physically? What about mentally? **Hinata dismissed the thoughts. It's not like she could classify herself as sane. She made a "come hither" gesture towards the general direction of the Suzuki. The girl slowly approached, a bit afraid of catching what her teacher had. When she felt that she was close enough, which was a couple of feet away from the bed, she halted.

"You play violin?" she inquired.

Itachi would never be able to figure out how Hinata knew she was holding a violin. Her eyes weren't even open.

"N... No... I want to learn... It was my father's..." she answered softly, just barely loud enough for them to hear.

The teacher nodded.

"I see. Well, I don't see. Since, you know, I'm blind and all... Never mind."

There was a long silence, where nobody either had nothing to say or didn't know what to say. Hinata finally acknowledged the fact that she was only wearing shorts and a fishnet shirt. She didn't recall giving anybody a strip tease. She reasoned that it must have been Itachi who removed her clothes.

_Itachi Uchiha stripped her. _

Hinata coughed awkwardly to conceal her blush. **Fever. It's just because I have a fever. **She suddenly regretted hiding money in her sash. He probably stole all of it. **Son of a...**

"Do you... need anything?" Momoko asked after a while.

Masami cleared her throat, then started coughing. They weren't any fatal coughs, thank the heavens. They were regular coughs that any other person with a sore throat would get.

"Water would be nice..."

"Hai."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Momo-chan."

The door closed softly behind her. It's like she was afraid she'd wake someone. Such a timid girl... **Was I like that when I was her age?**

* * *

><p>Careful fingers petted a particularly sensitive spot on the side of Hinata's neck. She closed her eyes, completely soothed by the simple action. Once more, he implored her to relax, and this time, she actually listened. Every muscle in her body loosened as she prepared to drift off to sleep.<p>

She grew nervous as his fingers dragged towards her throat. She tensed, knowing that she wouldn't stand a chance against Itachi if she tried self-defense. She's sick and without weapons; completely vulnerable. An embarrassed flush painted her face.

"Y-you're not going to choke me in my sleep... R-right?"

He enjoyed those few moments of blushing and stuttering she gave him. Her assumption was quite amusing.

"I promise I won't choke you."

She literally sighed in relief. She didn't know why his words were trusted, but they seemed good enough for her at the moment. Usually she'd be more skeptical, though the way he touched her and his voice somehow changed her mind.

"No promises with smothering."

Wait, what?

"It'll be over quickly and painlessly. Just don't struggle."

Hinata laughed, knowing that he's only teasing her. Everyone who knows Itachi knows for a fact that he's not the type to go around killing people for no reason. That's more like Hidan's or Sasori's or Deidara's department. Itachi is a very serene man.

The blind girl soon returned to her peaceful state, the rise and fall of her chest at a steady pace. Itachi spectated her sleep. He admired the beauty of the sight, almost wishing it could be eternal. But that would mean she'd be in a coma, and he didn't want that.

He turned away from her. He's really becoming obsessive with her. Stripping her, holding her hand, letting her sleep in the same bed as him... Watching her sleep is definitely crossing the creepy level. He didn't want her to label him as some stalker.

Has she noticed how touchy he's been getting, lately? Hopefully not. They've only known each other for a _week_, god dammit.

Why is he thinking of this? He'd never thought that the day would come where he'd be wishing that he was sulking about how much a failure he has become.

"So we're not leaving at nightfall?"

"No, we'll leave tomorrow at sunset," he informed her.

* * *

><p>Madoka let herself into the room, clearly not shy about intruding others' privacy. As long as the door isn't locked, she has the freedom to prance anywhere she wants to. It's her house, after all.<p>

"I couldn't help but overhear you two speaking of some kind of activity this Friday. I'm curious, now. What might this be?"

She was a bit disappointed to see that neither of them were surprised by her sudden entrance. The two S-rank criminals wanted to scoff at the idiotic attempt. A mere citizen catch two skilled shinobi off guard? One of them is a sensor, for crying out loud. They really wished people would stop doing that.

The only one that managed to astonish them by a sudden arrival is, weirdly enough, Hidan. He isn't even good at infiltration. No, he just had good luck and perfect timing. Perhaps it's the loud and dramatic yelling and slamming doors open that really shocked them.

She seriously wasn't in the mood and Madoka's voice just pissed her off. Plus, why would she pay any respect to someone who abused a child? Despicable.

"Visiting," he stated.

He sounded so honest that Hinata wondered for a moment if they really were visiting. Madoka bought it without hesitation, mostly because she didn't even care.

"So sorry for eavesdropping. I just wanted to know how long you two will be staying," the blonde woman apologized.

**Long enough. **

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want, though."

That comment was directed towards Itachi, and Itachi only. The blonde batted her eyelashes a few times before showing him a smile painted with coral lipstick. Itachi tried his best to ignore the fact that she was obviously trying to seduce him. And that coral is totally not her color. That hot pink low-cut top and black mini-skirt was enough of a sign for anyone. Especially the way she moved her hips on the way out.

* * *

><p>He liked Hinata's style so much better. It was classy, simple, and not too slutty. Anything short she wore wasn't too ridiculously short, just short enough. From the way she dressed, you already know that if you want to see more, you'll have to work for it. And he doesn't mind working.<p>

Yes, she had rather large... accessories... but she never flaunted them around. She doesn't need to. A petite frame, but not too bony. It's not a surprise that people named her a goddess.

Damn it. Why the hell is he checking her out?

She didn't notice, though. How the hell would she notice, anyway? She's_ blind_. Vulnerable, yet at the same time, dangerous. The combination suited her well.

He decided to sit on the edge of the bed. Standing gets tiresome after a while. Hinata yawned, her eyes drooping sleepily.

Itachi gazed at her as she drifted back to sleep. He really doesn't feel like sleeping alone tonight. A certain woman is going to slip into bed with him, with much less innocent intentions than sleep. Why do women try to rape him all the time?

* * *

><p>Kakashi gazed at the paper in his gloved hands. There's no way that crap was true. Perhaps he didn't read it correctly. He handed it to Kurenai. She stared at it incredulously with similar thoughts. <strong>This can't be...<strong>

"The deadline to bring Sasuke and Hinata back has been... taken away. We have... as much time as we need," she slowly announced.

The teenagers stared with disbelief. It sounded way too good to be true. Shinobi were taught that if such a situation were to ever occur, then something was probably up. Naruto was the first to snatch the paper to see for himself.

Much to his amazement, the paper was official. It even had the Konoha Council Seal. Their prayers have been answered. Naruto grinned.

"Looks like the old hags finally got some sense knocked into them by Baa-chan!" he commented.

After the wave of shock passed by, everyone was smiling. This is definitely a good omen. Kiba yelped in joy. They celebrated blissfully and ignorantly, avoiding the one question they should all be asking.

"Shannaro!"

"Yahoo!"

"We'll definitely bring them back, dattebayo!"

_What made them change their mind?_

* * *

><p>Itachi descended down the stairs, finding two of Madoka's children arguing over why there was a jounin in their house. One was a boy with dirty blonde hair and green eyes aged at about 14 , and the other was a girl with wavy brunette with dark grey eyes about 12 years old. The girl reasoned that the jounin is going to take the "Rotten Peach" to another home. The boy debated that someone is getting arrested because <em>Momoko <em>ran away for a reason. They both went dead silent by the time Itachi was at ground level with them. The girl had hearts in her eyes as she spotted the handsome man in their home.

"'Sup?" the boy greeted nonchalantly.

"The sky," Satoshi automatically responded.

The boy grinned, nodding once in approval of the answer. He could tell right away that he wasn't one of those guys who think they're so damn cool and just ignore children. The guy in front of them is cool in his own way. The girl giggled, smiling at the cool guy in front of her. **He's so handsome! **The boy was obviously disgusted by his sister's behavior. **Drooling over a married man.**

"You and your wife spending the night here?" he asked, although he knew the answer.

He just felt the need to proclaim the fact that he has a wife and doesn't need any other woman. The girl frowned in discontent. He smirked at her anger.

"Hai."

"She's _ugly_."

Her brother glared at her.

"_You're_ ugly! You and Mom! I bet you don't even know what his wife looks like, you dumbass!" her brother snapped.

The sister conjured up fake tears, playing the role of the victim. The brother made a noise of anger, clenching his fists tightly. He knew exactly what was going to happen. Their stupid mom would conveniently enter at this stupid time, take his stupid sister's stupid side, and stupidly punish him. He was so sick and tired of this routine.

This family obviously had problems. But don't _all _families have problems? Satoshi remained neutral, judging each side fairly.

**She started it. **As childish as it sounded, it was true. The boy's response came with a good reason. The girl's first statement didn't. She's clearly not the victim, since her pain is faked. The boy, however, may turn into the real bad guy since he looks ready to kill his sister.

Verdict: the girl is guilty. The boy is innocent.

The boy relaxed his fists, instead expressing his annoyance with an eye roll. Just because he's calmer doesn't mean he'll apologize, though. The girl continued to wail obnoxiously.

"When you fake pain, others have the desire of making that pain real. If you're really going to be the manipulative one, at least act better or else you'll get caught and killed. Siblings kill each other all the time," he warned the girl.

The kids' eyes were widened with surprise. For the first time in their lives, the customary routine they had was broken. The fake tears were ceased. The boy grinned and the girl scowled.

"That's something my wife said to me. She's the best actress I know. You better be careful of her."

The fear was evident in the air. The children took his advice, nodding right away. There's a _shitload_ of places to hide a body. Someone can merely assume the person was killed by the S-rank criminal in their town.

The girl puffed her cheeks out, and stomped out of the room. Itachi headed towards the kitchen to check on Masa. The boy was in a daze for a few seconds, but soon snapped out of it. He caught up with Itachi.

"Um... Hey..."

"I just wanted to say... thanks... She always gets her way around here, and I've always been sick of it. Thanks for being fair," he said.

Itachi turned around, and looked at the boy straight in the eyes. It was intimidating at first, but the boy understood what he was trying to say. _Don't thank me. I hate bitches like her just as much as you do. _After that brief moment, Itachi continued towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Masa-san, we need to discuss something."<p>

The jounin was obviously taken by surprise by Satoshi's entrance.

"I-I wasn't talking to the knife! I swear!"

Itachi sighed. **Why is the man that killed his own parents more sane than him? **

"You have a sword. Why would you bother conversing with a knife?" the Uchiha inquired.

Masa fumbled to find an answer, but realized that Satoshi is right.

"Um... What do you want to discuss?"

"_Something_."

Masa got the hint, walking out of the backdoor of the house to keep their conversation private. Satoshi followed, giving the boy a warning glance to ensure that he doesn't attempt to eavesdrop. **They're going to talk about Momoko, aren't they? **The boy rushed out of the room to find his cousin, who was supposed to be practicing the violin.

* * *

><p>Akito sipped his ice-cold water nervously. He was so out of place in the room full of nobles and leaders. He was but a mere lower branch member of the Hyuuga clan, only present due to the fact that his seal was fading. However, he knows more about the diary than any other person in the room. He smirked at his secret.<p>

Every trait that they all just learned was already common knowledge to him. He knew more about Hinata than everyone else. More than Shikaku, more than Inoichi, more than Hanabi, more than Neji, more than Kurenai...

He knew about the diary the day she started it. He just didn't know what was _in_ the diary. He's seen parts of the book, though. It was too complicated for him to understand at the time.

"Huh. Doesn't this look like Hiashi's handwriting?" Choza brought up.

All eyes strayed towards said person. Hiashi was immensely irritated that they'd accuse _him_ of writing the diary. That's just some major bullshit. Their attention shifted back to the diary.

Blah blah blah, chakra theories, blah blah blah, Byakugan, blah blah blah, cursed seal... Akito wondered how Hinata could stand all of these boring things. She was only 7 when she started the diary. Such large words, too. Does she read the dictionary?

"Nee-chan is so smart..." he heard Hanabi mumble.

Akito scoffed. She doesn't deserve to call Hinata her "Nee-chan." They never even acted like real sisters. Hanabi always called herself the more superior one, and Hinata the weak one. Akito was certain that Hinata kidnapped Hanabi to steal her eyes.

Who was the one that ignored the cries for help? Who openly insulted her in front of others? But now that Hinata is an S-rank criminal, she suddenly respects her and actually refers to her as a family member. _How sick. _

He didn't ignore the tears or bruises. He actually bothered to heal the wounds on his cousin's skin. She was always there for him. She encouraged him to follow his dreams of becoming a great medic-nin when others scoffed. He returned the favor.

But what did Hanabi do? Switch sides and act innocent. They're_ not_ sisters. Akito had to resist the urge to throw his glass of water at her and shriek the fact that everyone knows. He almost regretted having morals and being compelled to stick up for her.

* * *

><p>Shikaku flipped to another page about chakra and cursed seals. Wait. He flipped a few pages back. Then a few pages forward. And then a few pages back again. Never mind, just another theory about<em> blah blah blah<em>.

After reading a few of the theories, you'd realize that it doesn't take a genius to figure out the solution to a cursed seal. It all started with a few simple facts. All she did was use common sense and some studying to find out more facts, which leads to more facts, and more still. Many stare stupidly at the conclusion and mutter, "I could've done that in my _sleep_."

Yet at the same time, they couldn't have. If they attempted the same thing, they'd have no idea how to connect one thing with another. She made it look so simple and understandable, though.

She didn't skip straight to finding out how to break the seal. First, she learned about how a cursed seal worked. That was probably the most valuable information in the book. What her hand wrote in that book could be the answer to _freedom_. Not just the Hyuuga clan's freedom. Root's freedom, Orochimaru's subordinates' freedom, a Tailed Beast's freedom...

If she stayed in Konoha, she would've been a billionaire. People would kill–...

...

...

...

Oh shit.

* * *

><p>Dinner was the same as always: awkward. Masa and Hinata were lucky enough to avoid it. Masa left and Hinata was still asleep. Kisame was... somewhere.<p>

Itachi cooked the food out of habit. He prepared broiled salmon with herb mustard glaze, which everyone enjoyed. It was delightful having someone who actually knew how to cook, for a change. The family usually ate nothing but white rice and salt every day, since that was the only thing Madoka couldn't screw up.

Itachi brought a plate to Hinata. Her mouth was basically drooling at the smell. Food tastes so much better when you're starving. And when Itachi cooks it. **Why do we eat out if he's so good at cooking? **

He handed her a pill and a glass of water after she finished. She accepted the pill right away, knowing that he had no reason to kill her. Not soon after, she rethought her assumption, hesitating to swallow it. It'd be easy to merely blame someone else for her death, wouldn't it?

"Are you angry at me?" she asked nervously.

**Angry? **Somewhat, actually, but it's not her fault. The blame goes to him for living a lie. Does he seem angry at her?

"What makes you think that?"

She stayed silent. How is she supposed to tell him that she doesn't trust him? _Why_ does she not trust him?

"Nothing..."

It wouldn't be wise to point out the fact that this was the perfect opportunity for him to silently murder her. It may end up tempting him. He's just so unnaturally magnanimous, though. Perhaps that's just a personality trait. She decided to not jump to conclusions, instead observing him carefully.

She almost slapped herself at she realized a stupid mistake of hers. She impatiently scarfed down food that he prepared, but contemplates if the pill is safe or not. **I'm such a genius, aren't I?**

"I'm sorry, my brain is really stupid sometimes," she apologized.

Hinata swallowed the pill, gulping water afterwards. Even if he was angry with her, he wouldn't show it. Why would he trust her with his emotions? She barely knows if he has opinions, much less what they are. He was still a puzzle never to be solved.

* * *

><p>"Suzuki-san is moving to the Leaf," he announced.<p>

Hinata stared emptily into the darkness. She didn't know what to think of the decision. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. They only met her hours ago, and now they were speaking of departure. It happened all the time, yet the feeling still remained vivid and foreign.

"Masa-san is escorting her to Konoha tomorrow night with permission of his teammates. He'll take care of things from then on. Her relatives know nothing of this."

Where has the day gone? She's been so busy with other matters that she's barely paid attention to Momoko. She'll be able to discreetly visit her later, but it felt as if these were going to be the last moments she'd have with the girl. It's unknown how frequent they'll be able to visit.

"We can change the plans, if you don't approve," Itachi told her.

"No, it's okay," she replied.

"It's just... weird. Like the end of a story," Hinata admitted.

He shook his head.

"This is just the beginning..."

* * *

><p>Every member of the Hinata Retrieval Team was on their toes. A chakra signature was detected. Neji activated his Byakugan to find the culprit. The ninja was instantly recognized.<p>

"Akira? What are you doing here?" he questioned.

"It's _Akito_, Neji-kun," the younger Hyuuga corrected.

Akito hopped down from a tree branch. Everybody relaxed at the sight of the forehead protector around his neck.

"I was sent by Tsunade-sama. The mission to bring Hinata back is being canceled," the young Hyuuga declared.

"_What?_" Naruto questioned, along with many others.

They just got the privilege of as much time as they needed, and now it's being eliminated. Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. **Something must have happened. **

"The diary," he stated, letting them fill in the blanks.

"What does that have to do with anything?" the blonde boy ignorantly asked.

"Hinata-sama will be killed if she's brought back to Konoha. The destruction of a cursed seal will tip the balance of power in the Hyuuga clan, causing it to go into a state of chaos," Akito answered before Shikamaru even opened his mouth.

Neji stared at his younger cousin in shock. This couldn't be happening. Yet it is. Every word was honest, factual, and simple to understand. He just didn't _want_ to understand, to feel the cold slap across his face as the information sunk into his mind.

"The Hokage told all of this to you?" the older Hyuuga asked the younger.

It seemed hard to believe that the Hokage would reveal all of this to him. Usually, this kind of information is younger Hyuuga shook his head, confirming his thoughts. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Then how do you know this?"

Instead of answering the question, his eyes studied the faces of the Hinata Retrieval Team. One face happened to catch his attention.

"_She _doesn't look surprised. Maybe she can answer," he said.

All attention was shifted to Kurenai. Her heart almost skipped a beat. She had no idea what to say except for the truth. The pressure drilled into her chest.

"I... I just knew that she was at the point of no return..." she confessed.

"She'd still be as depressed as she was before, and maybe she's happier where she is now. I didn't know she'd be killed if she was brought back."

They stared at her, understanding her point of view. Perhaps they had the same viewpoint. All signs are pointing to the fact that Hinata is G-O-N-E _gone_. Shouldn't they just accept it?

* * *

><p>"No, no! You're wrong!" Naruto yelled.<p>

"Have you_ all_ gone blind? There's still light! We can show her that there's light, even in the darkest of places! She _has_ to follow that light!" he argued.

"There will always be a way... and I'll find it, _believe it!_" he promised.

Akito stared at the loud, rash blonde teenager before him in awe. Everyone else merely shook their head, hopelessness taking over them. Akito was the only one who was actually persuaded by this inspirational speech.

"And what would this way be?" he responded.

Crickets filled in the empty silence that occurred after the question. They all sighed. **He really has no idea what he's doing...**

* * *

><p>Hinata was wide awake, but Madoka didn't know that. She pretended to sleep, internally debating whether she should make it clear that she's awake or not. It was rather awkward having someone watching you while you're trying to rest.<p>

There was no fear present in her heart. Why should she fear a mere citizen? She lived with S-rank criminals. Over time, fear has converted into a thrill of energy and excitement. She was still smart enough to know when to back off, though.

Sometimes there were situations where she felt absolute fear. The ransom exchange was unnerving. This moment, however, was but another annoyance in her busy life. Patience degrades at a quicker pace when you're irritated or worried. One example is when she threatened to kill a girl just for a stupid comment. That girl still deserved it.

Waiting for the woman to leave was becoming quite tedious. Should she inform her that she doesn't give a crap whether she has sex with Itachi or not? That may bring up suspicions. Should she convince her to not attempt to seduce him? That won't work.

Suddenly, her mind jumped to the strange yet humorous moment when Deidara tried to cock-block them. It technically didn't work since they were just conversing about normal topics, but it seemed like a good idea. She got out of bed, walking towards Madoka.

The blonde woman's heart skipped a beat. **What is she doing? **She moved aside as she realized that Masami wanted to walk past her. She observed the blind Masami. **Sleep-walking? **No, that wasn't the case. She knocked on her husband's door.

After a few seconds, Satoshi finally answered. His hair was a slight mess. It was let out of its usual ponytail. He rubbed his eyes, still in a half-asleep state.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in, please?" she requested.

"Is something wrong?"

**He's too sleepy to know that Madoka-san is awake and ready to rape him. **She needed some kind of excuse. She blushed heavily.

"I'm afraid of the dark..." she murmured.

Madoka's jaw dropped. How the hell could a _blind girl _be afraid of the dark? **Bullshit! **Yet Satoshi bought it, nonetheless. She fumed, cursing under her breath. **That cock-blocking **_**bitch**_**...**

* * *

><p>Hinata entered the room, her current troubles alleviated at the fact that Madoka will now leave them alone. She was led to the bed. She happily plopped herself down, laying on the bed at an awkward angle. Itachi caressed her face in an attempt to soothe her false fear. She smirked at the rare naivety he showed.<p>

"You're welcome."

At first, he was confused. It took a minute for him to realize how foolish he's been. He's always caught off-guard whenever he wakes up. He chastised himself for having to get saved by Hinata. He really needs to learn how to deny women and not feel too much guilt afterwards.

"Am I in debt?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm the one in debt..."

"One day, I'll change your life for the better. I promise," she guaranteed.

After the debt is paid off, then they'll be equal. When they're equal, she'll feel the freedom to be as selfish as she desires. Betrayal will be an option, then. **He doesn't have to know that, though. **

But never mind about what will happen after the debt is paid off. The question is _how_ it'll be paid off.

"Don't worry about it," he told her.

She took his advice, forgetting about the subject for now. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. The fever was slowly going away. She'll be able to travel tomorrow with breaks as needed.

* * *

><p>The two Hyuugas were the only ones at the campfire. Neji gazed at the stars in the sky, while Akito focused on the fire. The latter had his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, as if trying to make the fire turn to water.<p>

"Hinata-sama likes playing with fire," he stated.

Neji snapped out of his trance. Akito always made random statements about Hinata. It almost seemed as if he was trying to remind Neji that she still existed. These remarks started months after the Chuunin Exams. Neji suspected that Akito knew about Hinata's banishment.

"What do you mean by that?" the older Hyuuga wondered.

"She's a fire-type."

Yet another thing to add to the list of similarities Hinata had with Sasuke.

"And she likes trouble. So... it's figuratively and literally," he added.

"How do you know she's a fire-type?" Neji asked.

Hyuugas weren't attuned to a specific nature, but fire was known as the Uchiha clan's element. He shook the thought away. A lot of people are fire-types. Asuma, Kakashi, the Third, Jiraiya, that one Chuunin with creepy smile...

Still, it seemed strange for Hinata to be a fire-type. She was more tranquil and calm; submissive. He expected her to be a water-type.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she was a water-type, too," Akito said, as if he were psychic.

"What? Why?"

"Hinata-sama is bipolar," he answered.

More questions flooded his mind. Shino, having heard the entire conversation, decided to speak up.

"She's not bipolar. You shouldn't assume such things. Why? Because you don't know her," he replied.

"Do you know her favorite color?" he brought up.

"Lavender," Shino said right away.

He smiled at the Aburame.

"She told us it was yellow. Then blue. Then green. She probably changed it to red, or something."

Shino scrutinized the 13-year-old Hyuuga. He was definitely different from the other Hyuugas he's seen. Usually a Hyuuga would have brown hair and a slight tinge of lavender in their eyes. Akito had hair as black as ink with eyes tainted with a light green. His bangs covered a vanishing cursed seal.

"I'm sorry if our conversation was too loud. You can go back to sleep, now, Aburame-san," the mysterious boy apologized.

* * *

><p>The boy offered a generous smile to the bug-user. Shino studied him for a few more seconds, then returned to his tent. As soon as he left, Akito whispered to his older cousin.<p>

"Let's make an alliance," he suggested.

Neji tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"What for?"

"We need to protect each other. Because our seals are disappearing, we're threats to the Hyuuga clan. Threats get taken care of by Root," he explained quietly.

Neji soon realized that his younger cousin was right. He berated himself for not seeing this sooner. His mind has been too cluttered to clearly see the situation he's in.

"Hinata-sama won't make any effort to protect us. I think she either trusts us to take care of ourselves, or she wants to laugh at our funerals..."

Both.

Neji slowly nodded his head.

"Alright..."

If they wanted to survive, they had to do it together. They shook hands to seal the deal. Little did Neji know that their alliance was going to be the same as a normal alliance between two villages: full of manipulation and distrust.

* * *

><p>Whispering. They were whispering. About what? Hinata clenched her blind eyes shut, shrinking towards the comforting source of warmth beside her. If only she went deaf instead of blind. Yet even then, she'd still hear the whispering voices, just as she still sees the images of a past life.<p>

She was awake. She just didn't know that, yet. _They_ didn't know that, yet.

There was a groan adjacent to her. It was obvious that whoever next to her was too comfortable at the moment to shoo the voices away. Who's next to her, though?

Suddenly, a blush burned across her face. The blanket was pulled closer to her. Despite the fact that she was dressed, she felt naked. The whispers died in a split second. All was mute and tense.

She cursed the vulnerability she's surrounded with whenever she _thinks_ she's safe. There was no real danger, but the fear and humiliation was enough to make her scold herself. If she slept alone, she would've been more alert. Paranoia was supposed to be her specialty.

"Is there something you three need?" she asked softly.

Itachi was still asleep. The murmurs only woke him for a slim moment. He merely decided to ignore it and continue living in his dreamscape.

The brother and sister cast confused glances at each other. Only two of them sneaked into the room. Momoko shortly came out of hiding, revealing how accurate the blind wife was.

"Um... So..." the boy said, breaking the silence.

He smirked.

"Fear of the dark, you speak of?"

Hinata sat up after her blush receded. She smiled at the memory of the night before. Madoka is definitely pissed about that. It's amazing that Itachi actually bought it. Cock-blocking is certainly a very entertaining activity.

"Yes, I'm very afraid of the dark, you see. It's impossible for me to sleep alone at night," Masami answered.

The boy smiled humorously at what she was trying to imply. He scanned Satoshi's wife. **Ha! I was right. She's **_**far **_**from ugly. She's**_** hot**_**.**

"Ano... Are you coming for breakfast?" Momoko asked.

"Am I on the second story?"

"Hai..."

Hinata/Masami laid back down in the bed. **Damn it. Stairs.**

"Breakfast is overrated."

The boy laughed. He approved of the wife. Momoko was lucky to have come across that married couple.

"She probably has a bad personality..." the sister mumbled.

The brother scoffed at the assumption. The three children left the room after being satisfied with the visit. The door slammed loudly behind them. Surprisingly, Itachi was still sound asleep.

Hinata carefully considered whether she should leave the bed or not. For once, she had nothing to do besides sleep. Future activities were to be planned after the mission. Normally she would take a walk, but the forests she enjoyed strolling in were miles away. How the hell do these people live in the middle of_ nowhere?_

* * *

><p>"Yes, such a clever plan. Because S-rank criminals will obviously want to avoid conflict. Talking things out is a wonderful idea."<p>

Sai's sarcasm was irritating, but he did have a point. Their goal is to capture Naruto. They can't just peacefully discuss the diary over a cup of tea.

"She cooperated peacefully with us during the ransom exchange. If she wants her plan to be carried out smoothly, then she'll have to give us a few hints on what to do," Kakashi reasoned.

Shikamaru thought back to the interrogation of Hanabi. The first day she was lying. The second day, however, is when she forgot every piece of information concerning the Akatsuki. She opened her mouth to reveal something, then her mind just went blank. Inoichi even did a mind-walk. The memories were completely _gone_. **Could it be Itachi? It's different from genjutsu, though. **

What they found out about the location of the Akatsuki base is that it's not in the Wind Country. All suspicion of Sunagakure supporting the Akatsuki was eliminated. The thing that bothered him the most is the one fact that the Hyuuga heiress managed to remember during the second day.

"'She's unpredictable.' That's what the Hyuuga heiress said. There's no way we can be sure about anything. We have no idea who she is, anymore. Be cautious and ready yourself for battle," he advised.

A majority of the group had their heart twisted with regret. All of this could've been prevented. But it wasn't. Now they have to deal with somebody that they used to know.

* * *

><p>Momoko stared at the ceiling, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. A photo frame was hugged close to her. She smiled at nothing as her eyes watered with joy.<p>

**I'm sorry... I have to leave. **There was nobody to apologize to, but she still felt as if she was betraying someone. Leaving the place where you grew up is a big thing, especially if you're going to become a shinobi. But did it really matter? Even if she stayed in her village, she'll never be back at home.

Home is gone. This is her decision to make her _own_ home.

There was not much to pack, except the photo frame, her father's violin the two pouches she was given. All could easily fit in her shoulder bag. The only ones she would have to say goodbye to are Satoshi and Masami. Perhaps she'll visit her parents' graves one last time.

All was ready and set. In fact, she was so ready that she wanted to leave immediately. The waiting only built up her excitement. Ideas of what she'll do when she buys an apartment kept flowing into her mind. Everything is going to go uphill from here on for her.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, time went by slowly. Everyone was just glad that sunset finally arrived. Hinata and Itachi left the house without saying any goodbyes. Momoko sneaked out at the same time. All three merely wanted to leave as soon as possible.<p>

It took a short time for Itachi and Hinata to find Kisame. Apparently, he spent the night in a dark alley. They decided not to tell him that they stayed at Madoka's house. Itachi refused to speak of the incident with Madoka.

The Akatsuki members quickly departed from the village. They don't want to be scolded by Pein for being late. Hinata wanted to say some last words to her one-day student, but decided that she could always visit the Leaf as Masami or some other persona. She wondered what they were going to use as their excuse for not completing the mission.

And where their hats went.

Their current pace was moderate, twice as fast than it was when they left the hideout. They might be able to make it to the base by early dusk as long as no random dilemmas pop up.

Conversation was at a minimum. There was nothing to talk about, but much to think about. Hinata had a few ideas of what to do about the Orochimaru problem, but decided to save it for later. Nobody will approve of her thoughts. She planned her words of persuasion.

The fact that Hinata has the Sharingan kept bothering Kisame. Both of his teammates have the Sharingan. Both of his teammates are geniuses. How is the world going to react? Should they keep it a secret?

Itachi, on the other hand, was still pondering over Sasori's gender. Could he claim to be a woman if he wanted to? He could easily switch puppet bodies. The thought of Sasori being a woman was amusing to him. Is that why Konan refers to him as "Sasori-chan"?

* * *

><p>As predicted, they arrived at the Akatsuki base by nightfall. It looked as if the door was replaced, but it was actually a genjutsu. Smart. Now they don't have to worry about any more broken doors.<p>

As they entered, they noticed Sasori and Deidara in the midst of a spar. Deidara had a kunai in his mouth, his hands tied behind his back, while Sasori was equipped with just a senbon. Sasori was somehow winning. A muffled curse erupted from Deidara's mouth.

"How the fuck are you winning? That needle should've snapped by now! Hmm!"

"I clearly have more skill than you, brat," Sasori declared.

* * *

><p>Team Mortal maneuvered around the duo. Kisame went straight to his room. Itachi and Hinata headed towards the kitchen. The food supply has been restocked. Such good timing they had. Despite the variety they could choose from, Itachi decided to feed Hinata and himself with an apple.<p>

"An apple... again..." Hinata commented.

It seems that all they ate in the Akatsuki base were apples. The type of apples they ate never even changed. Hinata didn't know if she could live on apples for the rest of her life. Hidan entered the room, proceeding to scan the fridge.

"Would you prefer a banana?" Itachi responded.

Her face flushed a deep red. **A banana... **Hidan laughed. It was a mystery whether the Sharingan-master said that on purpose or not. Still, it was better than maintaining her apple diet. Potassium is good for you.

"S-sure..."

Itachi tossed the curved yellow fruit at Hinata. She caught it, opened it, and bit into it to avoid any profane comments from Hidan. Hidan slammed the fridge door shut. **Fucking epic pick-up line...**

"Yo, wanna make some noodles? I'm fucking starving," he requested.

**Noodles... **Hinata smirked.

"Keep that in the bedroom, Hidan-senpai!" she remarked.

"I'm not that kind of man..." Itachi stated.

Hidan quickly realized what he was unintentionally implying and grimaced.

"Fuck! No homo, man!"

The blind girl laughed, biting into her yellow fruit. Itachi let out a "Hn", a sign of his amusement. Hidan gave a few laughs of his own.

"But, seriously... I'm fucking hungry."

* * *

><p>Neji crawled out of his tent. <strong>Morning already? <strong>He didn't sleep well the night before. Nobody on the Hinata Retrieval Team did. Only Akito had sweet dreams, immune to the depression surrounding him. **Where is she? Or is it a he?**

He stretched, feeling the comforting warmth of the morning sun's rays. He strolled into the forest to search for his cousin. There, he found Akito sitting on a rock in the middle of a pond, staring into the clear water.

The pond was peaceful and quiet. Lily pads floated placidly atop the clear waters. Pink and white lotuses blossomed in the water, giving off a sweet fragrance. The sight was so beautiful and graceful that it could inspire artists.

"Ohayou, Neji-nii-san," he greeted cheerfully.

Nostalgia overflowed in Neji's heart at the welcome. That's exactly how Hinata sounded like when she acknowledged him in the morning. Akito's voice was naturally girly enough to imitate her.

"Ohayou, Akito..." he parroted back.

"Akira," he corrected.

Neji was confused. He could've sworn that he was corrected for calling him Akira last night.

"You said it was Akito."

"Sometimes I'm Akito... other times I'm Akira..." he stated mysteriously.

Akira/Akito always has been the oddball in the clan. Neji dismissed it. He... or she must be going through some kind of phase. She... or he will grow out of it, eventually. Neji decided to refer to his cousin as a she when she decided to be Akira.

She picked a large, pure white lotus from the water. She brought it to her nose as she sniffed its sweet scent.

"The lotus is a flower that grows in the mud. The thicker and deeper the mud is, the more beautiful the lotus blooms."

Neji scrutinized his younger cousin's relaxed expression, understanding exactly what Akira is trying to tell him. Those words helped alleviate the stress he's been dealing with lately. He hoped to God that he'll remember this later.

"You know, I told this to Hinata-sama once..." she brought up.

"She agreed that good will come from bad, but she also believed that bad will come from good. She said it was to keep things balanced. That's why we have opposites," he told Neji.

**Balance... Yin and Yang. **Hinata always did refer to equality a lot, didn't she? Yin and Yang is a very important part of life. Perhaps she was correct with her beliefs.

"Do you know what she did?" Akira questioned with a smile.

Neji waited patiently for him/her to answer his/her own question.

"She set the pond on fire."

Neji was more than perplexed. He must have misheard.

"She... What?"

"Set the pond on fire," he repeated.

There was nothing but a calm silence as Neji pictured it. That's not even possible. How the hell...?

"That sounds... awesome."

"It was."

He should've paid much more attention to Hinata before. He could've learned a few of her secrets. Akira let her feet wade in the crystal water. She seemed agitated by something.

"That whole equality thing must be why she's taking down the Hyuuga clan."

_**Our **_**clan. **It's strange how no Hyuuga took credit for being a Hyuuga when referring to their clan's defeat. It's as if the only one who would truly suffer would be Hiashi. They might feel the desire of breaking away from the puzzle that depicts their clan's dark reputation.

Neji pondered over his cousin's hypothesis. It seems plausible. Too much power on one side could've bothered her. Eliminating the cursed seal would solve that problem. Her intentions might've been to keep the clan's power balanced.

"That would mean she wishes for peace within the Hyuuga clan, which is the opposite of taking it down," Neji replied.

"Maybe she knows there never will be balance, so it may as well be shattered. Just like a crystal vase."

Shattering a fragile vase. That's one way to look at it. What does she see when she looks at the Hyuuga symbol?

* * *

><p>"Neji-nii-san, you love Hinata-sama, right?" the younger Hyuuga asked.<p>

"Hai," Neji confirmed.

There was no hesitation or uncertainty in his tone as he answered. Akira stared straight into his cousin's eyes, searching for the passion that'll prove his honesty.

"You used to hate her," Akira recalled.

Neji stayed silent. Akira's face was solemn. The sudden graveness in the atmosphere intensified each word and emotion.

"She's _gone_. You know that, right?" she hoped.

"Yes, past the point of no return. She can never turn back," he recited, having heard this a million times.

"I think... this point of no return... It doesn't exist."

The black-haired Hyuuga shook her head. Eye contact was broken off. Akira gazed at her own reflection.

"No, it exists," Akira denied.

_Splash! _A stone was hurled at Akira's water image. The picture became distorted, disappearing while the water calmed again. Lily pads and lotuses swayed in the water at the impact of the rock.

"It's called death."

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Your father is... no longer with us."<strong>_

_**"I'm at the point of no return." **_

_**"Even if she died, the plan would still go on."**_

_**"**_**Shut up! **_**Just **_**shut up! **_**It's Sasuke all over again! We couldn't bring him back, and we probably can't even bring Hinata back, either!"**_

_**"She's **_**been**_** dead, Kakashi. She's been dead from the start."**_

_**"She'll be killed if she returns to Konoha."**_

* * *

><p>All of these signs pointed to Hinata's death. Has he really gone blind? Is she truly at the point of no return?<strong> No... It can't be. She can't be gone. No! Not her, too! <strong>

"Neji-kun? Are you okay?"

He fell to his knees in shock. His eyes mourned for lost loved ones. His heart sank to the deepest pits of depression. The voices in his head kept whispering malicious things into his ears.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"... point of no return..." <strong>_

_**"... gone..." **_

_**"Death..." **_

_**"... killed..."**_

_**"Eternal darkness..."**_

* * *

><p>He couldn't breathe. His emotions were strangling him. The darkness was trying to suffocate him. Everything was closing in on him, swallowing him into hell.<p>

Akira was at her older cousin's side in a flash. She put her hand on his shoulder, attempting to console him. She expected this to happen. She took a deep breath, composing herself before attempting to calm her cousin.

"It's okay, Neji-kun. Just breathe," she whispered softly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"... suicide..." <strong>_

_**"... had to happen..."**_

_**"You can't change destiny."**_

* * *

><p>Destiny. He was right before, wasn't he? He can't change anything. Nobody can. Your fate was decided from the start.<p>

"There's no such thing as destiny, Neji-kun. It'll be okay. Just breathe. Are you listening?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Neji, my son... You're so precious to me." <strong>_

_**"You should've been the heir." **_

_**"Ohayou, Neji-nii-san!"**_

_**"I'm so sorry, Neji-nii-san." **_

_**"Arigato gozaimasu, Neji-nii-san!" **_

_**"Neji-nii-san..."**_

* * *

><p>He gave up. There's no use fighting, anymore. There is no light. Not for his father, not for Hinata, not for him... The light doesn't belong to him.<p>

Akira was starting to panic. Neji passed out. She felt for a pulse and listened to his breathing. **Thank God...**

* * *

><p>The Akatsuki members sat at the polished table, waiting for the meeting to begin. Hinata was trying to hide the fact that her eyes were stinging like hell. Unfortunately, it's difficult to hide something you can't even see.<p>

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Itachi asked.

"I hate the Sharingan _so much_..." she mumbled.

**I'll take that as a no... **They have to bring up her Sharingan during the meeting. But how? Who the hell is going to believe it?

Pein cleared his throat as a signal of the start of the meeting. All became silent. His Rinnegan eyes scanned the faces in front of him, counting the heads. Nobody was absent. The only thing that caught his eye was their newest member.

"Is something wrong, Hinata? You seem uncomfortable," the Akatsuki leader commented.

All eyes were now looking at the blind eyes. She stuttered, her heart beating faster. How the hell is she supposed to explain her problem?

"U-um... It's..."

Everyone is probably getting impatient with her. She had to say something quickly before Sasori throws a fit.

"K-kisame-senpai can explain!"

The attention was shifted to the shark-like man. He blinked, completely unprepared. He wasn't paying attention to Hinata. How the hell is he supposed to explain what's wrong with her?

"Itachi explains it better."

Everyone was focused on Itachi, hoping that the game of who will explain will end.

"Orochimaru is after Hinata," he announced.

There were confused looks from many. Why would the Pedo-Snake want to steal a cripple? **Perhaps it's her breasts... **

Pein carefully analyzed the situation. The Snake Sannin wants to steal the Moon-Eyes Goddess. It actually makes sense to him. He might want to do experiments on her blind eyes to see if the Byakugan could be restored.

"Told you that bitch has the Sharingan!" Hidan proclaimed in victory.

"_Idiot_. How would a blind girl have the Sharingan?"

"It's possible," Sasori stated.

Hinata cleared her throat.

"A-actually... Hidan-senpai is correct..." Hinata hesitantly confessed.

* * *

><p>The entire room went agape. Hidan... being<em> right?<em> Impossible. Well, he had Sasori's support, so it wasn't that impossible. Still, it was strange.

"What do you mean?" Konan asked.

She had every word planned the night before. Every single word. But no, her brain just conveniently forgot the entire speech at that very moment. She took time before she finally remembered a part of what she was going to say.

"Ano... When I was little... I had an eye problem... There was always too much chakra going to my eyes. It made my eyes hurt a lot frequently. I had the weakest Byakugan in the clan, which is strange for Hyuuga heirs..."

Sasori nodded, completely understanding the situation.

"And this excess chakra caused your Byakugan to evolve."

(Sounds like Pokemon. Congratulations! Your Byakugan evolved into a Sharingan!)

White Zetsu laughed, taking all of this for granted.

"You better watch out, Leader-sama. She might even be able to awaken the Rinnegan, too," White Zetsu jokingly warned.

"It's possible..." Sasori stated.

Hinata was starting to worry that her eyes could be stolen. It was actually hilarious, if you thought about it. Stealing a blind girl's eyes...

* * *

><p>"Our main problem at the moment is Orochimaru. He's been a thorn in our side for quite a while..." Pein declared.<p>

Many were eager to take on the Snake Sannin, most especially Sasori. Itachi slightly shrunk back in his chair, not feeling the need to be the one to deal with Orochimaru. His last encounter was enough for him.

"And as you all know, Itachi's younger brother and Sasori's former subordinate are both Orochimaru's tools," he added.

"Sasori, Itachi, what do you two propose?" the Rinnegan-user inquired.

Sasori stood up, with a determined expression in his usually bored eyes. There was an aura around him, telling stories of his urge to deal with the problem as soon as possible. It almost made him seem like a kind of hero that wanted to put an end to his villain. Quite strange, if you remember the fact that they're both villains.

"As Orochimaru's ex-partner and ex-master of Kabuto, I will take responsibility for taking care of them," the puppet-user swore.

That tone he used... It attracted everyone's attention. They've never seen Sasori look so full of righteousness before. The job was immediately approved without objection.

"And you, Itachi?" Pein asked.

Sasori sat down. The initial shock wore off after a few seconds. Itachi had the complete opposite expression of Sasori's. He was placid and nonchalant, just as always. He looked as if none of this is even his problem.

"Hinata can deal with my younger brother," the Sharingan-user answered.

And none of this really _is _his problem. It was a good idea, though. Hinata already planned a battle with Sasuke. The Sharingan can't hypnotize a blind person, so she'll have the advantage. The experience will be good for her.

"Any objections?"

Although Deidara was pissed that he wasn't able to fight Itachi's younger brother, he agreed with the arrangements. Hinata smiled. Everything was going accordingly to her plan.

"There's one more thing we have to take into account: Konoha," the Akatsuki leader brought up.

"Kisame and I will take care of the Leaf-nin. There's a chance that they'll send the Nine-Tails on the mission," Itachi volunteered.

Pein nodded in approval. Everything was going uphill. Orochimaru and Sasuke will be taken care of, the jinchuuriki is going to be captured, and they have two sets of Sharingan eyes. Itachi's decision to recruit Hinata was a wise one.

"Now, about the mission..."

* * *

><p>Akito paced back and forth in front of Neji's tent. He didn't kill Neji, but he might kill himself. Perhaps it was too early to reveal the truth.<p>

**What am I talking about? Of course it was too early! **He felt incredibly stupid. It's like giving away the ending to the book that someone just started. Spoilers. Damn. Now he felt like a real jerk.

He stopped pacing as he remembered how Hatori always ruined books that Hinata was about to read. He smiled at the brief flashback. The young Hyuuga continued to pace once the flashback ended.

Neji is currently asleep, mumbling strange things about breakfast. Akito worried that his stress could give him a fever. He'll need therapy once he wakes up. Hell, they both need therapy. What kind of 13-year-old is used to death?

Nobody should be used to death. No matter how many times they experience the death of a loved one, you should never become acquainted with the feeling. Hinata isn't dead, though. She's just at the point of no return.

It could just be that they don't have the same relationship with Hinata. Akito is basically her subordinate. Neji is... something more complicated.

No, it's not their relationship– it's their knowledge. Akito knows more about Hinata's personality than Neji. Akito has a stable family bond with Hinata. He always conversed with her in his free time because of that bond. He was trusted with a few of her secrets.

What he knows is that Hinata isn't gone. Well, for him she isn't. He's her subordinate, so she'll chat with him every once in a while. They met together once during the time she was gone.

Should he really be referring to himself as a subordinate? He's more like one of her favorite cousins. He does favors for her. They're rather _dangerous_ favors, though... Perhaps it's okay to secretly call himself her subordinate. Being an S-rank criminal's subordinate sounds cool, too.

* * *

><p>"Akito-kun? Have you seen Neji-san?" Sakura asked.<p>

"He had a headache, so I told him to rest. It might be because of the cursed seal," the young Hyuuga lied smoothly.

It wasn't a complete lie. They've both gotten some horrid headaches, lately. It just wasn't true at the moment. He was thankful that the pink-haired ninja bought it.

"Can I check up on him?"

"Ah, no, it's okay. I'm a medic-nin, too. I can take care of him," he assured.

Sakura was surprised to hear that. Hyuugas have very excellent chakra control, but medic-nin aren't allowed to stand on the front lines, which is where the Gentle Fist excels. Hyuugas are usually not allowed to become medic-nin.

"Even though I have a strong Byakugan, I was never good at the Gentle Fist. I've always wanted to become a medic-nin, but everyone just looked down on me..." he explained.

* * *

><p><em>Those cold glares and disapproving shakes of the head. <em>

_"Who are you?" they asked. _

_"You can't be a Hyuuga."_

_"How shameful..." _

_He cried. __**Who am I? **__He started to question his own identity. Hyuugas aren't supposed to think like this. They're not supposed to be afraid of hurting others. _

_"I don't know! I don't know!" he shrieked. _

_Alone. He was alone. Everybody turned their backs on him. He had nobody. He _is_ nobody. They all left him, leaving him all alone. _

_"I don't want to be this person full of pain... I want to be someone else... I don't want to be me..." he sobbed. _

_May 17th. That's when Akito was born. Akito is happy all the time. He's smart, kind, and somewhat mysterious at times. His personality attracted many friends. _

_All evidence of who Akito used to be was obliterated. There's no proof of the weak, stupid one that some claimed he once was. _

_"Who's that? I don't know that person."_

_**I don't have to hurt so much. I can be whoever I want to be. Akito. Akira. Kasumi. Manami. Takuma. **_**Anyone.**

* * *

><p>"... Then I became a medic-nin."<p>

Sakura was a bit disappointed at the abrupt ending to the story. **You left a few blanks, you know... **

"Did anybody support you?" she asked curiously.

"Neji-kun told me that it was useless trying to fight against destiny..." he answered sadly.

Neji was such an ass back then. Little did he know that he was secretly called "Destiny Boy" behind his back. Akito didn't hold a grudge against him, though. Just a small feeling of wanting to rip his guts out that's been in the back of his mind since that day.

"Ano... Hinata-sama gave me some encouragement. She said that pain exists to be healed to keep balance," he added, hoping to brighten the mood.

Hatori laughed and remarked it'd be a good excuse for his handwriting. He was actually right. The teachers patted him on the head after they heard about his dream. His sloppy handwriting has been permitted thanks to his goal. **Hatori-kun was a genius... **

"Hinata is important to you, then?" she questioned.

**So many questions... When is she going to leave?**

"Hai. I won't hesitate to kill her, though."

Sakura was very much disturbed by the reply she received. She wondered if all Hyuugas were raised like this.

"Why would you kill her?"

He smiled sweetly at the older medic-nin.

"Because we're family," he stated.

Usually when such a line is said, people feel heartwarming sensations. However, it all depends on the context in which it is used. In a situation such as this, it would cause one to slowly back away in fear.

Sakura was stubborn, though. She was creeped out, but she refused to depart, much to Akito's dismay. Luckily, a groan and incoherent mumblings of pancakes came to the rescue to save him from an unnecessary conversation with the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Ja ne, Sakura-san," he said as he disappeared into the tent.

* * *

><p>As he entered the tent, he realized the reason why Sakura wanted to know so much about him. He's been holding a knife the entire time. <strong>Baka! <strong>She probably thinks he's going to murder Neji.

Should he?

He brushed the thoughts away. It wasn't the right time. He'd surely become the prime suspect after what he said earlier.

"Neji-kun?"

Neji suddenly sat up, extremely alert. Akito flinched.

"Where is she?" he inquired seriously.

Akito assumed that "she" is Hinata. He hesitated before giving an answer.

"She's fine... She's vacationing in the Mist. It's supposed to be a mission, but she always fails. Typical Hinata-sama, treating missions like breaks from the village," the young Hyuuga said nonchalantly.

His stress levels went down considerably by his younger cousin's assuring words. Until he realized he was lying.

"Be honest. Where. Is. She," he asked with a grave tone.

"She's in a better place, Neji-kun," Akito answered just as gravely.

Neji let himself fall backwards. Akito wanted to laugh. Neji is the must gullible when he wakes up. He was the exact opposite of Hinata, who was the most alert when she woke up.

"... The Akatsuki isn't a better place..."

Neji sat up again. It was probably wise to not argue with him in order to save his remaining sanity. He put his hand over his forehead as he bent over in pain.

"My head hurts..." he complained.

Akito rushed to Neji's side, hovering a glowing green hand over his chest. His Byakugan was activated, scanning his older cousin's chakra flow.

"Head. Not chest."

Akito let out a small laugh.

"Just checking..."

His hand travelled up to where the problem laid. Neji closed his eyes. In a few moments, he felt a relief that he would die for.

"Arigato gozaimasu..." he thanked.

He expected his younger cousin's hand to move away a few seconds later, but it remained in its position. There was a strange silence in the air. The hand was finally removed after some seconds.

Should he question why Akito's hand lingered at his forehead for so long? He decided against it. He didn't have any right to tell a medic-nin what to do. After all, he was clueless in the medical field. It just bothered him that the routine was slightly altered.

"Ever have that awkward moment when you're using the Gentle Fist on a woman with large breasts?" Akito suddenly brought up.

Neji contemplated the question. He immediately thought back to his previous fights with Hinata. All previous thoughts were thrown out the window.

"... Yes."

* * *

><p>Kurenai jumped when she heard her name suddenly being called behind her. She rotated herself 180 degrees to find the source of the holler.<p>

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Sakura was extremely anxious about something. Perhaps another false what-if situation about Hinata's banishment. Kurenai didn't think it was of major importance. The medic-nin was known for crying over past events.

"Akito... I think she's suspicious."

Kurenai still didn't change her thoughts. Sakura might just be biased about Hyuugas. It's not uncommon. The Hyuugas have been labelled as traitorous, arrogant, and cold. This stereotype is another reason of the Hyuuga clan's fall.

"_He_. Akito's a _he_. _Akira's_ a she," the red-eyed woman corrected.

Sakura had no idea what the hell Kurenai was talking about. She hasn't seen Akira, yet. Neither has Kurenai, but she's heard of her.

"She... He claimed to be a medic-nin. He said that Neji was resting in his tent due to headaches, and volunteered to take care of him. I asked him questions, and he said that he'd kill Hinata if needed because they're family. There was a knife in his hand as he entered Neji's tent," she explained.

Kurenai knows she should be acting less indifferent, but she really didn't care.

"It's probably nothing. Just leave them alone," she advised.

Kakashi looked up from his perverted book, surprised at Kurenai's reaction. It sounded pretty serious to him.

"Geez, you hold a worse grudge than Shino," he commented.

"Tenten holds knives all the time when she's talking to people," Kurenai replied.

"That's _Tenten_. We know her patterns. We don't know about Akito, though," Kakashi responded.

"Everything about him_ screams_ suspicious. Hyuugas aren't supposed to be medic-nin, his eyes are tinted green instead of the usual lavender, he doesn't mind killing his own cousin..." he listed.

"A lot of people don't mind killing their own cousin."

"A lot of _crazy_ people," the grey-haired jounin retorted.

"He's a lower branch member. It's normal for them to hate main branch members. Besides, when worst comes to worst, we'll have to kill Hinata. Same with Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Sakura were speechless. They've never heard Kurenai say such cruel things in such a relaxed voice. Has she been <em>this<em> emotionally detached the entire time?

"Are you saying it'd be easier to hate them?" Kakashi assumed.

"I'm saying it'd be easier if you _think_," the genjutsu-user said.

It vexed her how everyone makes such foolish choices without thinking about it'll affect everything else. They've been so stuck in the fairy-tale world that they completely forgot about reality. Nobody even_ considered_ what the point of no return really means.

"Think of_ them_. Think of_ the village_. Think of _everything that's around us_," she demanded.

"We know that the village wants to kill Hinata, and maybe even Sasuke. We'll find a way around that," Sakura persisted.

"That's not it. Even if they don't kill them, they'll be _used_."

"If the village has possession of two S-rank ninja, you're _damn right_ they're going to be used! They'll be forced into ANBU with mission after mission heaved upon them, their every movement will be reported, every single piece of information they know will be hounded out of them..."

Her voice crescendoed with each word spoken. It felt like a siren blasting in their ears, informing them of a cold truth. Her fists were clenched so tightly that you could see the white bones under her skin.

"Do you know how _stressful_ that is? To be treated like a prized weapon? To lose your humanity to an unscrupulous village?"

She was yelling, now. The slow fuse that's been building up has finally exploded upon them. Blood was starting to pour from her fists. She closed her eyes, attempting to regain composure that she couldn't even remember at the moment.

"It's enough to kill your own family," she whispered, barely loud enough for herself to hear.

Although her voice was quiet, her statement still rang in their ears as much as it did when she was yelling. Kurenai swiftly turned around and walked away, as if trying to escape her anger and grief. Kakashi and Sakura stared at her back as she left.

Akito and Neji, who both accidentally witnessed everything, stood as quietly as possible. Neji made a gesture to leave before they get caught. Akito nodded, slowly backing away.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay, Hinata?" Itachi asked once more.<p>

"I'm fine, Itachi-sama. I'm just tired... That's all," she repeated.

Itachi looked up at her. Her right arm was lazily hanging off the tree branch, with a black ribbon tied around her wrist. She was in a position that looked quite comfortable. Itachi never understood how shinobi slept in trees. Hell, he doesn't understand why she's sleeping in a tree when she has a bed.

"Is the tree that comfortable?" he questioned.

"We're Leaf-nin, Itachi-sama. Trees are our habitats," she replied.

True, the trees that surround Konoha are good for camouflage and are a good elevated advantage point, but how do you find comfort in them? They say you get used to it, but Itachi always ends up falling off the branch. He'd much rather sleep upon the ground. Perhaps he was destined to be a Grass-nin...

The sky was cloudy and grey. It seemed like it was going to rain, just as Itachi predicted. In fact, it looks like it'll rain in the next few hours. **Where is he?**

* * *

><p>After some waiting, the one they've been waiting for finally arrived. It was raining at that time. Pein let the rain fall on him, taking in the natural scent he's become accustomed to.<p>

"I need to know Hinata is truly capable of handling your younger brother," he stated, cutting straight to the chase.

"She has several advantages over Sasuke," the Uchiha assured.

A blind girl has a good chance against a Sharingan-user. If you also account for her ability to seal away dojutsu, her flawless defensive skills, and her intelligence, then it's very likely that Hinata will be victorious.

"Yes, but I question her strength, not strengths. I need her to prove her worthiness."

Itachi took a glance at Hinata. She was laying down, her eyes closed. Her entire manner was completely placid at the moment.

"Hinata," he called.

"I'm awake."

She jumped off the branch, landing beside Itachi. Pein noted how short Hinata was compared to Itachi. She's definitely the shortest one in the Akatsuki. Short for her age, even.

"You might want to step out of the rain," she advised.

Pein moved himself to the shelter of the tree that Hinata was previously resting on. She cleared her throat, as if she was preparing to make a speech. Her hands were raised high above her, much like the gesture Pein uses to make it rain. Except this time, she was making it rain _fire_.

Orange streams fell to the ground at a high speed. Crimson was slightly tinting the fire rain. There was a show of hot colors showering down, contrasting the grey sky.

Itachi activated his Sharingan, confirming that they weren't caught in some fancy illusion. The magnificent sight before them wasn't fictional. Yet it looked exactly like a tall tale that one would tell to their children at night. The dojutsu-users gazed in awe. **She set fire to the rain...**

"You really do live up to your title as a Goddess. This surpasses my own rain technique," Pein praised.

Hinata let her arms fall to her side. In a moment, the fire was replaced by the monotony of the usual rain. Itachi expected Hinata to be panting and exhausted, but she was perfectly fine. The ribbon tied to her wrist was now white.

"Even the Sharingan won't be able to replicate this. It'll only remember the beauty of it," Itachi complimented.

"Arigato, Pein, Itachi-sama," she thanked.

_"Pein." _Such a casual name for the leader of the Akatsuki. It was almost as if she was insulting him. _"Itachi-sama." _Such a high title just for her guardian. Does she really look up to him that much?

* * *

><p>"There will be a high chance that you'll find yourself in a battle against Orochimaru instead of Sasuke. You might not be able to rely on the weather if such a situation were to occur..."<p>

Hinata wasn't arrogant enough to say that she'll be able to defend herself. Her stomach bubbled with anxiety at the thought. As strong as she is, she still won't be skillful enough to handle the Snake Sannin.

"Itachi, please defend Hinata against Orochimaru. Keep a close eye on her," he instructed.

Hinata felt a certain emotion emanating from her guardian. What's this? Fear? No, it seemed more like reluctance. He's as grossed out by Orochimaru as any other normal person. It must've been horrible learning that his younger brother went to _him_ for power.

_The snake and the weasel have always been enemies... _

"It'd make more sense to have Sasori guard her," the Sharingan-user suggested.

Their was an air of hopefulness around him. He was desperate to not be the one to face Orochimaru.

"Yes, but you're her guardian. For a good reason, too. Hinata is basically the diamond of the Akatsuki," the leader denied.

* * *

><p>"Diamond?" Hinata echoed.<p>

"This feels like the Hyuuga heiress position all over again..." she remarked with glumness.

Itachi was extremely aware of the emotions she felt as the diamond of the Akatsuki. After all, he was the ruby of the Uchiha clan.

"There'll be nobody to snatch or take away your title this time. You're fine the way you are," he comforted.

Hinata shook her head.

"I'm now conscious of the requirements to be the_ Moon-Eyed Goddess_..."

She spoke of her title with such sourness. She must hate it now that she knows what it means.

"A flower in the sun. You need to be of the Fujiwara and Hyuuga clan, the two halves of one whole" she said.

Pein was impressed with how much history Hinata knows. Everyone almost assumed she knew nothing.

"However, it doesn't have to be a wisteria. It can also be a lotus."

* * *

><p>"S-sakura-san!" Akito shrieked.<p>

Sakura's hand froze. She was just about to add another herb to the soup she was preparing, until she was interrupted. The young Hyuuga seemed very frantic about something.

"Hai?"

"Have you ever heard of the phrase 'Taste your soup before you salt it'?" he asked.

Sakura decided to take his advice, putting down the herb in her hand. She picked up the wooden spoon, scooping up some of the soup she was preparing. She instantly spat it out after one small sip.

"I'll cook dinner, tonight," he offered.

"Thank you, but I'm very capable of cooking by myself," she declined.

"A pretty woman like you shouldn't bother with cooking meals. _Please_, leave the cooking to me," he begged.

Sakura blushed. **Pretty woman... **Akito is the exact opposite of Sai, who would've commented that even ugly apes should know how to cook.

"Okay, then!"

Sakura left the campfire to find someone to talk to. Akito sighed in relief. He stared at the bubbling pot in front of him. **Should I check if it can still be saved? **His gaze was directed to the bowls of herbs that Sakura used to create the soup in front of him. He was deeply afraid of the soup Sakura prepared.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru yawned as he crawled out of his tent. He stretched, cracking his back in the process. His eyes fell upon the young Hyuuga, who was staring at the pot of soup. <strong>Sakura said he was suspicious... <strong>

"You're helping with dinner?" the Nara asked.

"I'm taking charge," the Hyuuga answered.

**Taking charge? **That doesn't sound good. If he really is a medic-nin, then he must know a lot about poisons. He walked to Akito's side, inspecting the soup.

"This is what Sakura-san made. I haven't touched it at all," he said.

Shikamaru grabbed the wooden spoon, ready to test what the soup tasted like so far. Akito put his arm in front of him, blocking the pot.

"Don't. This soup... It's..."

He took a dramatic pause.

"... past the point of no return..."

Shikamaru placed the spoon back where it was, staring at the pot in horror. He glanced at the ingredients at the side. That orange fungi does_ not_ look edible.

* * *

><p>Hinata let out a few weak coughs. The rain was strong and the air was cold, but she still felt the need to live as a nocturnal creature. It felt like an eternity since she's rested on a tree branch.<p>

**I'm digging my grave by being in the cold so much. **The warmth of a man was too foreign to her. The cold slap of the wind is what she really desired. Perhaps she became a masochist after years of being alone and abused. It doesn't matter. What's wrong feels right and what's right feels wrong.

Every doctor she's had told her to not be in the cold so often. When you're in the cold, you become cold. That's a universal truth. At the very least, she could yearn for warmth. Yet even that simple task was impossible for her.

Is it wrong to like the coldness? It doesn't feel wrong. The fresh smell of the damp earth was refreshing. The coldness slowly freezing her to death proved she still had the ability to feel. How could this possibly be wrong?

It's not like anybody stopped her. Some even encouraged her. It's just a breath of fresh air. Why would this be wrong?

The answer is quite simple. It's _not_ wrong.

"Hinata."

"I can sense you."

"You have a bed, Hinata," he informed her.

"It's not any warmer in the bed than it is outside," she responded.

She almost sounded forlorn and bitter. Her change of attitude almost frightened Itachi. When a powerful Goddess gets in a mood, you can ensure that chaos will erupt.

"It is if you _shut the window_," he stated.

"I'm claustrophobic."

A deep silence filled the atmosphere. There are many causes for her fear. It symbolized myriad things. Hinata started to wonder what fears Itachi secretly held. Even a strong shinobi like him is afraid of something.

* * *

><p>"There's a snake slithering up your right leg."<p>

In a flash, a kunai was stabbed into his leg. He let out a sound of pain. Hinata let out a sound of laughter. This brief moment of naivety will never be forgotten.

"Ophidiophobia."

"I don't like snakes," he quietly confessed.

Hinata smirked. The man who singlehandedly took down Orochimaru is afraid of snakes. The irony. **I don't like snakes, either, but I don't freak out like this... **

There was a slight ruffle of leaves from the tree above them. Hinata wasn't bothered, but Itachi stared upwards intensely. She let out a few coughs. She must've been attempting to conceal a few more fits of giggles.

Hinata hopped down from the tree branch. She reached into her obi to retrieve the healing ointment, only to find out it wasn't there. She started to panic, patting herself down. She even checked her bra for the slim chance she hid it there.

"Bitch... That _bitch!_" she cursed.

"She stole the ointment!"

"Madoka-san?" Itachi assumed, trying to keep the pain out of his tone.

So this is what people feel when he stabs them in the leg. Pain. It's been such a long time since he's felt physical pain. Who would've guessed it'd be caused by his own hand?

"_Momo-chan_."

**Suzuki-san? **What a surprise. Although Hinata couldn't help but be proud of her student for mastering the art of stealing. She should be more careful around little girls.

"I'm glad I carry around bandages, though..."

Hinata kneeled next to Itachi, taking out her roll of bandages. She swiftly removed the knife. Itachi let out a grunt.

"G-gomenasai..." she apologized.

He's probably pissed at her, but it was worth it. Every little sound of pain and fear that came from Itachi's lips was music to her. It compensates for the hours of staring at his handsome face that never happened. All she has is a shadowy, blurry image in her mind.

* * *

><p>"You haven't been eating."<p>

Hinata stayed silent. She almost felt guilty that he was the one hurt, yet he was still concerned for her. **Is this a tactic? **She wrapped the bandages tightly around his leg.

"Do you prefer oranges? Grapes?" he asked.

"Strawberries, but that's not my problem," she replied.

She tied the bandages into a ribbon. He made a quick mental note of the fruit she preferred.

* * *

><p>"How many members are there in the Akatsuki?" the blind girl inquired.<p>

"10, including you."

Hinata bit her lip.

"I counted 11."

Itachi's heart skipped a beat. There's no way... There's _definitely_ no way... Unless...

"Did you count Zetsu as two people?"

"No, just one."

She _couldn't_ have. Could she?

"Name them."

"Me, Zetsu-senpai, you, Kisame-senpai, Hidan-senpai, Kakuzu-senpai, Sasori-senpai, Deidara-senpai, Konan-chan, Pein, and the one that paced in the hallways."

Okay, so she did. He urged himself to calm down. There are many logical and illogical explanations he could give to distract her.

"Are you sure it wasn't any of the others?" he questioned.

"P-positive! Whoever it was gave off an aura that almost made me lose the remains of my sanity. I felt no chakra signature, though. I was looking for you, and I got lost. I screamed... Hidan-senpai had to carry me because I was too scared to walk..." she explained.

**Where was I when this happened? **He never heard a scream. No matter where she was, he would've heard it. The hallways echo. It could've easily been hidden with a genjutsu, though.

Although Hidan _did_ look bothered during the meeting... He did everything that was expected of him, yet there was still something that brought suspicion to him. The slightest glint of him trying to solve a conundrum was in his eyes the entire time. Itachi assumed he was wondering how the hell he was_ right_ about Hinata having the Sharingan.

The lack of talk highlighted the endless pouring of rain. There was a flash of lightning, followed by the booming of thunder. Hinata started to cough loudly.

"I-Itachi-sama... Do you think I'm... crazy?" she stuttered.

"You're not, Hinata," he replied with 100% confidence.

He needs to address the source of her problem before she truly does go insane. Her left arm was in a defensive position in front of her chest. Her right arm was behind her back.

"This person said something to me..." she mentioned.

Itachi touched her face. Her body temperature was warm, the exact opposite of what he expected. The weather was currently cold enough to see your own breath. He blamed the fever for her unnatural warmth.

"'_The sun rises at midnight_.'"

Crap.

Fuck.

Shit.

It's not that the message means something deathly important; it's that the message is _fake_. He knows this because there's absolutely nothing going on at midnight. Even though she hasn't gotten her hands on some valuable piece of information, he's still in a tricky situation.

Since the message is fake, then the entire scenario is also fake. It was all set up by her to test him. He must've slipped up somewhere. His reaction is _crucial_.

If he played along, he'd arouse suspicions for not noting the small hints she's been giving during her act. He has to expose her without confirming her thoughts. However, with her thoughts unconfirmed, she may dig deeper into the case...

"You shouldn't worry yourself over this," Itachi advised.

"After all, it's just all a lie."

* * *

><p>The fear in her eyes was swept away in an instant. She laughed nervously, completely dropping the "Save me, I'm weak!" performance. The show she put on was quite convincing.<p>

"I could only dream of fooling the all-powerful Itachi-sama..." she praised.

"Sasori, explain why Hinata starved herself just to entertain you," Itachi demanded.

Said puppet jumped from his position high on the tree. There was an amused glint in his eyes, embroidered with one of his signature smirks. Itachi gave him a death glare, not humored at all.

"For your information, it was never of my intention for her to starve herself. I just asked her to prove her deception skills. Anything that caused her harm in the process was of her own will," Sasori replied.

Translation: Not my fault she's a masochist.

Hinata smiled at how easily Sasori was able to twist words. Technically he did require that she deceive her target with the best of her ability, but that wasn't her goal. His command was to gather information of an 11th member. However, he was telling the truth when he said that starving herself was her own idea.

Itachi was clearly not pleased with Hinata's nonchalance of her well-being. It'll be even more difficult to protect her when she's her own enemy. **Why does she do this? **

"That still doesn't explain_ why_ you wanted her to fulfill such a task," Itachi responded.

Sasori smirked deviously.

"Just a bet. Nothing more, nothing less," he assured the Uchiha.

Itachi studied the two. A spy and her client? No, they seemed more like allies. With an alliance like that, he needs to stay on edge. Hinata already has him cornered. He decided to call it a day.

"I'm going to sleep," he announced.

"Sweet dreams, Uchiha brat."

It was clear that he wished the exact opposite. Hinata showed him an amiable smile as he departed. Jashin knows what sinister plots are forming in her mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Pein: Buses... They don't exist?<strong>

**Konan: No, that was just a fever dream, Nagato-kun.  
><strong>

**Pein: So we have to _walk_ there?  
><strong>

**Konan: ... We have flying clay birds...  
><strong>

**Pein: But not buses? _What the hell?_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Just a reminder!<br>_Read _Perfect Heir_! Review this chapter! Give some useful criticism! Thank you for wasting your time!  
>Btw, do you people like AkitoAkira and Momoko? I really hate OC's in stories, but...  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, my pretties! Thank you so much for giving me inspiration to continue this! Keep on reading and reviewing–it's really appreciated!  
><strong>

**Enjoy, damn it.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Yugakure. Of all the good hot spring villages around, they decided to go Yugakure. Hidan was utterly pissed at their "shit-eating Jashin-damned cocksucker of a leader" for choosing to vacation at the village he abandoned about half a decade ago. Kakuzu had to listen to his bitching the entire trip. Needless to say, the trip was quite tedious.<p>

As Itachi and Hinata were escorted to their rooms, he studied the halls of the inn with his Sharingan. For some reason, he expected it to be a love hotel. No, it was a traditional hot springs inn. That doesn't mean you can't have sex in it, though.

"D... Does Haru-san still live in Yugakure?" Hinata timidly.

"He's half-blind, with bandages over his left eye... Very handsome... His bangs are also covering his bandages... About 22?" she described.

"Nakamura Haru? Yup. He opened up a book store, too. 'Nakamura Book Shop.'"

Hinata laughed. Itachi didn't fail to notice how tightly clenched her fist was. Whatever she laughed at, it must've been because of some kind of irony. A tragic, cold irony that only she knows. An inside joke between her and this Haru person. Itachi felt excluded from the humor. Questions without answers reigned in his mind. They quickly arrived at their room in a few moments.

"Here's your room! I hope you enjoy your stay, Fujiwara-sama, Uchiha-sama. Ring the bell if you need anything."

The maid bowed down respectfully. She cast a final glance at the two before departing. That blind girl has such an arrogant, royal air around her. **Definitely Hikari's daughter...** The man also had an important aura, but not as arrogant. **Definitely Mikoto's son... **They're both powerful offsprings of dominant mothers.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Itachi entered their room, taking off their shoes. It featured a tea room, an elegant bathroom, a small kitchen, and one master bedroom. There was a balcony that overlooked tranquil gardens. On the tea table, there was a small bell for room service. It was a beautiful room, indeed. It lived up to the standards expected of their mothers. Such a shame that this room was given to two blind people.<p>

Hinata touched Itachi's hand softly, lightly, hesitantly... All she wanted was to recall what warmth truly is. She retracted her hand, swiftly, quickly, desolately... The memories were despised.

They sat themselves at the tea table. Itachi poured them a cup of hot tea. He carefully observed whether Hinata added sugar to her tea or not, and how much. No, she waited for it to cool.

He sipped his own cup. Crap. Maybe he should've waited, too. _Fuck._ Hot tea really burns when it's spilt on your lap. Hinata didn't see anything, though, so it's all good.

He wondered how many mistakes she could've witnessed if she weren't blind. He ceased the thought. Not as many mistakes would've been easily made if she weren't blind. Carelessness, because even if he made a fool of himself, Hinata would have no clue.

"Who's Haru?" Itachi inquired.

Even with his straying thoughts, he was still able to keep in mind that Haru is the cause of Hinata's sudden mood change.

"That should be my line."

Curse it all. Sasori is serious about finding out who the mysterious 11th person is. What mistake did he make in hiding it? He's completely innocent about any knowledge of Haru, though.

"I don't know who he is."

"I trust you, Itachi-sama. Do you know who Hatori is, though?" she asked.

Itachi never forgets a name, face, or personality. Hatori is a different story. For whatever reason, he can't recall where or how he heard that name. Even if it was just randomly yelled on the streets, he would've remembered. It bothered the_ fuck _out of him.

"The name sounds familiar," he confessed.

"I'm guessing that Haru and Hatori are the same person?"

Hinata nodded. She added two sugar cubes to her cooled tea, tasting it before adding another. Three seemed to be the magic number.

"Last time I saw him, he had mismatching eyes. Black and white. The white eye was covered with bandages and his bangs..."

She sighed. Last time she saw him, he was also extremely handsome. Or would he always be handsome under her gaze, even if it was a blind one?

"And he possesses the Sharingan under his bandages?" Itachi assumed.

She smiled.

"He possesses the _Byakugan_ under his bandages," Hinata corrected.

**The Byakugan...? **One onyx right eye and one Byakugan left eye. _Clever bastard._ If his bandages were removed, you'd discover he has one white left eye. You'd assume that his story of being a half-blind man is correct. In reality, _both_ eyes have a dangerous power.

"He stole the Sharingan during the massacre," Itachi stated.

Hinata nodded. He stole it after he left the village, like a vulture picking at the remains. Quite smart of him to let Itachi do the killing. How much does he know about the massacre, though?

"His original right eye was stolen by the Mist..." she mentioned.

Her eyes displayed no guilt. Only a glazed layer of ice was seen. She's attempting to build another wall around her heart, to withdraw back into the cold darkness she's so familiar with.

Itachi set his cup down. This vacation is turning into a business trip. Work, work, work... He was starting to see Konan's point of view. And here he thought _she _would be the one attending _his_ early funeral.

* * *

><p>"The Leaf-nin beat us here," Hinata informed him, changing the subject.<p>

_**Your**_** friends. **Perhaps she was correct in thinking of them as only shinobi from Konoha. Maybe she was right to be nonchalant, as if they had nothing to do with her. Less for her to worry about.

"When are you going to take care of them?"

It'll be troublesome for both of them if the Leaf-nin aren't rid of soon. Itachi found the task irritatingly _easy_. He can't let the Akatsuki take over the world, though. But from the mischievous glimmer in Hinata's eyes, it's obvious that she has her own plans.

"Capture the jinchuuriki as soon as possible. That's an order," she commanded.

_**An order?**_She's definitely serious about whatever crazy plot she made up to be ordering_ Itachi Uchiha_ around. Such confidence she has... It's admirable.

It's quite a change seeing the normally submissive Hinata acting dominant. Her princess gowns were replaced with the robes of an icy queen. He almost felt like kneeling down to her. Instead, he took her right hand, planting a delicate kiss on her soft skin.

"Hai, Ojou-sama."

The frosty exterior was instantly melted away. She switched back to her default princess mode. Hinata's blush was the same as the one from her past, coloring her embarassed face. Her hands trembled, almost spilling the tea in her left. She never was destined to be a tyrant...

"I-Itachi-sama..." she stuttered.

He brushed his thumb over her soft skin before taking her cup of tea and placing it onto the table. A good servant wouldn't want his mistress to be spilling tea on her graceful attire. Gazing futilely into her blind eyes, he leaned closer.

"Any other wishes you'd like me to fulfill, Ojou-sama?"

She shook her head. Her lips were incapable of forming coherent words at the moment.

"Very well, then."

He stood up, walking towards the exit of the room. _Their_ room.

"Good luck," he wished.

* * *

><p>After Itachi left, there was only the rapid thumping of Hinata's heart. Calmly, she stood up. She walked towards a room, sliding open the door. The bathroom. Wrong room. She walked towards the right of the bathroom. A wall. She tried going far left, searching for a sliding rice paper door.<p>

The bedroom? Yes, yes it is. After bumping into the bamboo headboard, she laid herself on the bed. _Their_ bed... Rest is what she needed. For the sake of her diminishing sanity, she had to forget the memory that was still fresh in her mind.

And so, she let herself rest on the imperial velvet bed sheets, focusing on her , exhale, and repeat. After finally regaining some of her composure, a question popped into her mind.

What the hell did he mean by "Good luck"?

* * *

><p>Itachi knocked upon a door, waiting for Kisame to answer. <em>Hoping<em> that Kisame will answer. He could probably fulfill the job without Kisame's help, but he thought it'd be polite to ask anyway. Their relationship as partners has been neglected, lately.

"Itachi?" a confused Kakuzu called out.

Kakuzu... Close enough? No, he has no reason to be asking _him_ for any help. He'd much prefer help from the less sane immortal. Hidan doesn't give a fee just for asking.

"'Sup, motherfucker?" Hidan greeted, swinging open the door.

Ah, so Hidan _is_ present. He'll have to do for now. Whatever is convenient at the moment will be used.

"Follow me," the Uchiha instructed.

Hidan raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Unlike Kisame, Hidan isn't the type to blindly obey sudden orders. He's more of a challenge to tame.

"Y'need a wingman, or something?"

"Yes, Hidan. I need a someone to assist me with meeting women, and I decided to choose you," Itachi retorted.

The Uchiha earned a wide grin from the Jashinist, as if he actually bought the story. Itachi rolled his eyes. Despite what his co-workers think, he is very familiar with the world of romance and sex. There's nothing that_ Uchiha Itachi _doesn't specialize in, after all.

"Bring your scythe," he added.

Hidan cackled like a maniac, retreating into the room to retrieve his reaping tool.

"Oi, Hidan... You better not do anything stupid," Kakuzu warned.

Hidan scowled at the elder immortal.

"Stop bitching, for Jashin's sake! You nag like a fucking housewife!" the shinigami complained.

* * *

><p>He snatched the triple-bladed scythe, wrapping the pesky cable around his arm. Kakuzu glared, threatening to knee his idiotic partner in the stomach. He relaxed his fists.<p>

"He's _your_ problem now..." he mumbled.

"Hn..."

There were no signs of regret on the Uchiha's face. He even looked... satisfied? **What the hell? **He's in a good mood, for some reason. That's bizarre, considering the fact that _Hidan_ will be accompanying him on whatever task he wants to accomplish.

"What's got you so happy, kid?" the immortal curiously inquired.

"I'm _21_."

Itachi never liked being looked down upon. He doesn't like looking up to others, either. Poor kid. Always standing up straight with a stern, mature expression on his face... He grew up way too fast.

"And I'm 93. Pretty large age gap, you know."

Isn't that why he's able to tolerate an immature, rude man like Hidan? He must be envious of his juvenile personality. Plus they're in the same age group, so it's only natural for them to bond.

Kakuzu wondered about how jealous he was of Hidan. Of course, that didn't matter much, since Hidan is immortal. Life is much easier when you're immortal.

"Hai, Obaa-sama."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed at the insult. Hidan is a bad influence on him. But Itachi deserves to be a rebel every now and then, doesn't he? The 93-year-old smiled, patting the Uchiha's head. He didn't even care about how Itachi's eyes instantly glowed red.

"When I was your age..." he started, sounding exactly like a grandpa.

"Ikuzo, Hidan," Itachi interrupted.

The two walked away, with Itachi at a hurried pace. **Maybe I'll finish my story next time... **Kakuzu slammed the door, not bothering to see them off.

He never got an answer to his question. But then again, he never expected one. Mysterious kid, he is.

* * *

><p>Somehow, Hidan managed to lead Itachi towards the marketplace. There were many stores, signaling a good economy. Some stared at the two S-rank criminals. A majority of them were glaring at the former Yuga-nin. Hidan nonchalantly chatted with Itachi about picking the right kind of woman, seemingly oblivious to the looks he received.<p>

"And don't use fucking _genjutsu _on people just to get laid! That's two kinds of fucking rape right there," the Jashinist advised.

Itachi suddenly realized that his Sharingan was switched on. It's instinct for him to activate it when around crowds of people. He switched it off. It's better if he didn't memorize every frown that came their way.

He despises the way the citizens whispered behind their backs, as if they were deaf. Poisonous paranoia seeped into his mind. A wound from the past was reopened, stinging so badly that he wanted to...

"Do you like transexuals?"

The Uchiha continued nodding absentmindedly, focusing more on his disturbing thoughts. **Water torture or fire torture? **His mind randomly decided to think of Hinata. _**Both.**_Hidan scowled at him for not paying attention.

"Are you fucking _listening_?"

Obviously not. Itachi's face was stern, slightly sullen. The good mood he had was drained away by the malicious villagers. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"They're just fucking bitchy just 'cause I killed those annoying neighbors. Lots of red everywhere–blood, fire, a pretty sunset..." he explained, hoping to comfort the former Uchiha heir.

Hidan's explanation helped a lot. It's no wonder that he got such bad attitudes from the villagers. He deserved it. He's an S-rank criminal, for Jashin's sake–the exact reason why he shouldn't take his side. Still... He couldn't help but sympathize with him.

* * *

><p>The young Hyuuga sighed, staring emptily at an old photograph. The edges around it were burnt a dark black, as if it were saved from a fire. He was tempted to complete the task he wasn't able to fully perform years ago.<p>

Once more, Akito was sitting on a rock in the middle of a lotus pond. Large koi fish swam in the crystal clear water. The tranquility of the scenery only outlined the internal conflict in Akito's mind, similar to how the black edges framed the nostalgic photo.

The photograph showed a shattered vase. The shards had a beautiful pattern, telling the story of a once-beautiful fragile piece of art. It was one of the many delicate objects that his dear cousin Hinata had eradicated. Akito didn't know why he wasn't able to part with this frivolous memory, but he also didn't know why Hinata desperately wanted to erase it. Perhaps she knew that Hiashi would get mad if he knew she broke yet another expensive vase.

**Hinata-sama... **He shook his head. He mustn't allow his emotions to fog his judgement. His mind must be as clear as crystal, with no mud tarnishing it. The Hyuuga tried his best to ignore the voice at the back at his head that insisted that crystals are still breakable.

He was in possession of much more_ interesting_ photos, of course. Affairs, murder scenes, a glimpse at someone's true personality... Photography is his hobby. For some reason, he has an addiction to collecting evidence. He'd be the top ANBU if he ever happened to join.

Speaking of ANBU...

* * *

><p>Itachi returned to his hotel room with a box of chocolate-covered strawberries. He set it down on the table, next to the box of cinnamon rolls. He started towards the bedroom, where Hinata was most likely–<p>

_Wait_.

Cinnamon rolls?

He backed up, taking a second glance at it to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. The Uchiha read the card placed atop of the sweets. Yup, it's for Hinata. Apparently this person either doesn't know Hinata is blind or he's stupid. Or maybe he figured she'd get someone to read the card for her.

Cinnamon rolls... She mentioned those were her favorite, didn't she? The secret admirer must know her well. Could it be Hatori? Hell no, he's her cousin... But then again, so is Neji.

That was when Itachi realized that he's not the only one whose eyes linger on her face for a few more seconds than they should. There are _other guys_ out there who could steal her away. Itachi almost felt betrayed by this thought. He wanted to meet whoever sent this.

Itachi soon resumed his trip to the bedroom after a few more seconds at staring at the cinnamon rolls. Hinata was still fast asleep. She's going to be a nocturnal person if she keeps taking naps during the day. Or maybe that's what she wants. Is there something important to be done at night?

He sat on the edge of the bed. Hinata's gentle eyes fluttered to life when she felt the bed dip. When she felt no chakra signatures around her, she sat up, wide awake. **A ghost? **A few seconds later she realized that it was probably just Itachi. She sighed in relief.

"Itachi-sama...?" she called out.

"Hm?"

**Ghosts... I have too much of an imagination. **Although she wished for the Uchiha to stop hiding his chakra signature _so damn well_, she kept quiet. He must have something important to say if he needed to interrupt her nap. Everyone in the Akatsuki knows how much Hinata hates an unfinished afternoon nap.

Hinata noticed the absence of a certain blonde boy's chakra signature, but didn't mention it. She was being too impatient when she told him to retrieve Naruto. It was better if that was delayed, but Hinata dreaded the idea of helping in the capture. Perhaps she was being a coward, but that's what she specialized in: running away.

As Itachi took his eyes off of Hinata to examine the room, he spotted an ink stain on the wood floor. There were several ink stains, actually. It looked as if a printer got drunk and threw up. The jet-black splatters surrounded the bed that Hinata was sleeping in.

"What happened?" he questioned.

Hinata smiled, letting a few small laughs escape her lips.

"You see, my younger cousin and his friend are in the closet..."

* * *

><p><strong>In the closet? <strong>An eyebrow was raised. He stood up, walking towards the wardrobe. For a second, he thought that he'd be whisked away into a fantasy world such as Narnia. But just as he expected, there was a Hyuuga and a Root member attempting to take refuge. A_ green-eyed_ Hyuuga. That's rare.

The Root member wore the standard Root short black jacket and black shinobi pants. A tip-less tanto was strapped on his back. Itachi also noted that there was ink stained on his pale fingers and that he seemed sore, possibly from the Gentle Fist. The Hyuuga next to him wore a dark green collared Chinese shirt and dark blue shinobi pants. A camera was on his neck and a photograph in his hand. He bore a strange resemblance to Hinata–especially since he had two ebony locks framing his face–as if he could be her younger brother.

Yes, he can tell that Akito is a boy. He's way too flat to be a girl, despite his girlish curves and voice.

"K-konichiwa, Itachi-san..." the young Hyuuga greeted nervously.

Itachi stared at the two. Unlike Sasuke, Sai didn't feel a deep fear inside his heart. For some reason, they knew they weren't going to die. But such an idea is preposterous, isn't it? Itachi is _Sannin_-level.

He didn't speak. His onyx eyes scrutinized them, observed them, _judged_ them. Paranoia was in the air.

His Sharingan wasn't activated, though. What could that mean?

"Please get out of the closet. It must be uncomfortable in there," Itachi politely requested.

A courteous criminal. Actually, it wasn't too surprising. It's always the extremely smart ones that are nice, making you ignore the fact that they might've already planned your funeral. Akito knows this. Hinata is his older cousin, after all.

Currently, Hinata was immaturely laughing at what Itachi just desired. She was obviously thinking of something completely different. It's easy for a blind person to ignore the context of the words, though, isn't it? The Hyuuga couldn't help but crack a smile at the nostalgic giggles.

Obediently, Sai and Akito retreated from the wardrobe. The Hyuuga felt oddly comfortable around Itachi, as long as Hinata was nearby. Her smile always put him at ease.

"Ah... So this is Hinata, the Moon-Eyed Goddess... She has quite a large–"

"–Hinata-sama is your subordinate, now?" Akito intervened conveniently.

He received no shake of the head or comment. Only the look in his eyes told them he didn't think of her as a subordinate. A small wave of the hand gestured them to_ get the hell out_. It probably wasn't best to hold conversations with S-rank criminals.

Despite knowing this, Akito was still disappointed that he didn't get a chance to talk with his cousin. He missed the sound of her voice. He gave one last glance at the two former Leaf-nin before finally leaving the room. **Hinata-sama's smile hasn't changed. **

"I guess we'll meet tomorrow," he said.

As they left, they heard a few pieces of their conversation. Apparently, Itachi was with the marketplace with Hidan earlier. Itachi accused Hinata of being a Byakugan-user. Hinata insisted that her eyes see nothing, explaining that her sensing range is 10 kilometers. He wasn't completely convinced by this, but it stopped the questions for now.

The green-eyed Hyuuga chuckled at this. It's just like Hinata to boggle people over whether she's blind or not.

Akito knew the answer to this question.

* * *

><p>Without thinking, Hidan strolled down memory lane. He cursed to himself, wondering why he subconsciously walked into the ghetto part of his home village. He was just a block from where his shabby old house resided. It might not even be there anymore.<p>

He turned around without hesitation. Hatred only boiled at the thought of returning to the place he left. Animosity was shown when he was reminded of why he left. For the millionth time that day, he directed his colorful vocabulary towards the Akatsuki leader who wasn't present to receive it.

Yugakure, of all places. Yugakure. He knows fucking well that that's where he came from. He wears his slashed forehead protector around his neck every day, for Jashin's sake!

To be honest, he actually likes the village. The hot springs are relaxing, the weather is normal, the better part of the village looks _better_, and he didn't even mind doing the missions and shit...

It's just the_ people_.

The _memories_.

The _nightmares_.

The _people_.

Jashin, the _people! _ Just thinking about it makes him want to start another massacre. They're all idiots. It pissed him off to no end.

He didn't even realize that he left a trail of death and gore as he made his way towards his hotel.

* * *

><p>"Akito is a fake name," Sai finally said.<p>

There's been silence between Sai and Akito ever since they left the inn.

"Eh?" the green-eyed Hyuuga responded.

He snapped out of his daze. He was too preoccupied with thoughts of... (Murder? Self-reflection? Strange fantasies?) to pay attention to the tension.

"Akito is a fake name," Sai repeated.

The Hyuuga pondered over the statement. He shook his head.

"Akito is..."

He never finished his sentence. They continued walking towards the group. He finally finished his sentence when they arrived at the campsite.

"... and that's who Akito is, I guess."

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, the part of the story that Sai wanted was missing. Shikamaru, who happened to hear this, scooted near Neji.<p>

"Hey... Who _is_ Akito?" the Nara whispered.

Neji was going to answer, but realized that he didn't have one. He pondered over the topic. **Akito... **For some reason, the name doesn't ring a bell. But then again, Neji is one of the most forgetful people in the world.

He stared at his younger cousin. He can't even tell if he's a lower or main branch member because of his bangs. He's probably a lower branch member if he's covering his forehead with his bangs, though. But Hinata also has bangs, and she's not a lower branch member. Such a mystery.

"Why?" Neji asked.

"I heard from Sakura that he won't hesitate to kill Hinata," Shikamaru replied.

Shikamaru waited for a response. He expected that Neji would be angry for accusing his cousin of saying such a thing, or mumbling curses about the traitorous Akito. Surprisingly, he was calm about it.

"She's an S-rank criminal," he simply stated.

Shikamaru stared at Neji as if he grew another head. He was so passionate about Hinata just a few days ago. What happened to that zest? He was back to the way he was before he learned of Hinata's betrayal.

"N... Neji? Are you really okay with that?" he asked cautiously, as if he was afraid of stepping on a land mine.

Neji instantly knew what the Chuunin was thinking by the tone of his voice. He nodded.

"It's just... not as much of a shock to me anymore," the Hyuuga explained.

The Nara studied the Hyuuga's expression. He should've expected this from Neji. Neji's always been one to merely submit to "the way things are." Destiny. Even with his cursed seal fading, is he really free?

After this, will they really just let Hinata be? Shikamaru felt a small attachment to the shy Hyuuga girl that always stuttered and blushed in the presence of Naruto. She gave some pretty damn good advice if you asked. No matter what happens, Hinata is their comrade. Nothing can ever change that.

* * *

><p>Neji sighed. His hand traveled to his forehead protector, where a fading symbol was hidden behind.<p>

"I've been having these strange dre–"

"–Neji-kun, have you eaten yet?" Akito suddenly interrupted.

Neji turned around, gazing at his pale green-eyed cousin. Akito's been concerning himself over whether Neji ate or not lately. The Nara doubted that Neji is becoming anorexic. Diets never worked out for Neji, and neither will depression. He might even be gaining weight.

"Yes."

Point proven.

"How much?" Akito inquired.

"Are you trying to _insinuate_ something?" Neji replied, offended.

He sounded exactly like Sakura at that moment. Those two really do have a lot in common. In fact, both even hate spicy foods.

Akito folded his hands together and stared straight into his older cousin's eyes. He giggled at the way Neji fiercely glared back, not willing to let his pride be tarnished. Chouji isn't the only one who hates being called fat, Shikamaru noted.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were eating enough. You're perfectly fine the way you are," he said sweetly with a sugary smile.

Flattery. It worked as well on Neji as it did on Sakura. Shikamaru mentally praised the 13-year-old for his common sense; something Sai obviously doesn't have. Akito looked pretty cute in his pose right now. Not cuteness in a pedophile way, but more like in a little cousin way; something Hanabi obviously doesn't have. Those two should take a leaf from Akito's book.

"Because your cursed seal is fading, there will be extra chakra in your body. We don't know where that chakra will go. There's a chance that it'll just stay in the brain and send weird nerve impulses that might make you suicidal or think you're full when you're not," he explained.

Neji was surprised to hear this. He wasn't even thinking about his disappearing seal, much less know about the consequences of freedom. It explained why he's been getting horrendous headaches, flashbacks, weird dreams...

* * *

><p><em>"My head hurts..." he complained. <em>

_Akito rushed to Neji's side, hovering a glowing green hand over his chest. His Byakugan was activated, scanning his older cousin's chakra flow. _

_"Head. Not chest." _

_Akito let out a small laugh._

_"Just checking..." _

_His hand travelled up to where the problem laid. Neji closed his eyes. In a few moments, he felt a relief that he would die for. _

_"Arigato gozaimasu..." he thanked._

_He expected his younger cousin's hand to move away a few seconds later, but it remained in its position. There was a strange silence in the air. The hand was finally removed after some seconds. _

_Should he question why Akito's hand lingered at his forehead for so long? He decided against it. He didn't have any right to tell a medic-nin what to do. After all, he was clueless in the medical field. It just bothered him that the routine was slightly altered._

* * *

><p>Is that why he took such peculiar precautions that time? The Byakugan isn't usually required to heal a headache.<p>

"I'm really sorry, I should've told you about this earlier!" Akito apologized hysterically, bowing down.

"I just kinda... sorta... forgot..."

Forgetfulness. Does it run in the family? Although Hinata has always had a perfect memory...

"Why do you know so much about this?" Sakura asked.

Sakura was the one who held the most suspicion about Akito. Akito didn't blame her. He must admit that he is a suspicious character.

"I'm a medic-nin, Sakura-san," he reminded her.

The kunoichi shook her head. Her eyes held a fierce accusing look in them. Emerald green eyes challenged spring green eyes. Akito looked away, not willing to start a fight. He was never one to enjoy fighting.

"Hyuugas aren't allowed to be medic-nin."

He stayed silent. He's heard that line a million times before. It didn't faze him anymore. Still, he was never able to come up with a retort or comeback whenever those words were spoken. His voice just stopped working.

"What are you hiding?" she demanded.

"I–"

"_Sakura_," Neji interjected.

The older Hyuuga glared at the Haruno. Very little knew this, but Neji was actually very protective of his cousins. He made sure to be nice to his family, main branch or not. Blood is thicker than water, after all.

"Akita is my younger cousin. She's completely innocent. I don't like you blaming her when no crime has been committed."

Shikamaru debated whether or not he should remind Neji that his name is_ Akito_, not Akita. And that _Akito _is a boy. But now that he thought about it, he does appear to have a feminine charm. _Is_ Akito a girl?

The Nara glanced at Akito. He (or she?) didn't comment upon Neji's mistake. There was a conflicting look in those unique eyes tainted with green. As if there was a secret that she (maybe he?) didn't know what to do with. **How troublesome...**

"I think it's good that Sakura-san is wary of her own comrades," Akito commented.

The three's attention was shifted to the young Hyuuga. He had a point. Fool your friends before your enemies, they say. Backstabbers are everywhere. Wasn't it the person they least expected who became an Akatsuki member? Enemies are lurking behind fake smiles and friendly attitudes.

"Captain Neji," Sai called out.

Neji turned towards a grinning Sai. Sai waved back in a friendly manner. Neji wondered what exactly Akito was trying to say when he complimented Sakura. Maybe... Just maybe...

* * *

><p>Sasori held his kunai in his puppet mouth. The blonde brat wanted to see how the hell he fought with just <em>one<em> senbon. He obviously couldn't understand that he won their last spar because of their difference in skill. Obstinate idiot. He's the senior of the two for a reason.

_Snap. _

The flimsy needle broke in two. Deidara stared at the pieces in bewilderment. Sasori, who assumed the fight had reached its end due to forfeit, removed the knife from his mouth.

"How the _hell_ did you fight with this?" he questioned in frustration.

Sasori stared at him with his wow-you-really-are-an-idiot expression. Although he's a puppet, he's very famous for his expressions. He even had an entire conversation with Itachi with neither saying a word. It would've lasted longer hadn't Hidan rudely interjected.

"Like I said, it's called _skill_."

Deidara didn't even look up. He knew exactly what face the elder was wearing.

"Tch..."

The broken pieces were thrown away. Sasori sighed. He hated seeing things being thrown away–especially if they were his. He likes making his possessions last, unlike the reckless Deidara. Exactly why he became a medic-nin.

He sighed even louder. Being the only medic-nin in the Akatsuki really pissed him off. The puppet-user didn't have enough patience to put up with his patients. They became his victims if the procedure was too irritating.

He sighed even _louder_. He used to have an assistant. He was incredibly skilled, too, but no–he just _had_ to betray him! Fucking Orochimaru.

He sighed even _louder_. And the one person who was suitable for the job of being the second medic-nin was hopelessly malicious. He seriously did not think she would kill the fish on _purpose_. What the hell did that fish ever do to her? Blind bitch.

"Are you going to tell me what your problem is, or keep sighing, hmm?" Deidara asked, annoyance in his tone.

And so, Sasori sighed once more, just to piss the blonde off. It's not like he felt like talking about his thoughts. There's nothing the brat could do about it, since he was unwilling to acknowledge that art is better when it lasts forever. That idiot.

"...Bastard..." the clay-user murmured.

* * *

><p>Footsteps were heard. Not long after, the door was opened. Pein urgently needed to know something.<p>

"Sasori."

He sighed yet again. **More help? Again? **This was the third time today that he's asked for relationship advice.

"Konan will fuck Hinata at this rate," the former Sand-nin remarked.

Deidara raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He didn't know of the Akatsuki leader's relationship with Konan. The puppet-user's comment was out of the blue and intriguing. What did he mean by that?

"I'm here about Hinata's eye problems. What's the analysis?" the Rinnegan-user demanded.

Despite knowing the Rinnegan's power, Sasori rolled his eyes at the request. He should be more worried about Konan. Last time he saw her, she was flirting with some young, half-blind man at a book store. That idiot needs to pull himself together.

_Sigh~_

Pein waited for his answer. He assumed that the information must be bothersome for him to sigh like that. Or was he disappointed in him?

Deidara's eyes glanced at a clock. He didn't even notice that was there until he heard the ticking. Too much time has been wasted on waiting for the medic-nin's answer. The silence is going to drive the Akatsuki leader crazy.

"_Today_, Sasori," Pein commanded, almost impatiently.

_Siiighh~_

"Che... He's been doing that a lot, lately, hmm..." Deidara warned Pein.

_Siiiiiigghh~_

Pein glared. Sasori stared back with bored eyes. If only he could trade his Rinnegan for the Sharingan.

_Siiiiiiiiggghhh~_

* * *

><p>The Akatsuki leader departed, stomping off to find Hinata. Gods... It was embarrassing to not have full control over the Akatsuki. They're freaking S-rank criminals, though, for crying out loud! Of course they'd be a hassle to handle!<p>

Sasori, Hinata, and Hidan. Those were the three that gave him problems. Hidan, though, followed every order, albeit reluctantly and not up to the standards he was hoping for. Sasori and Hinata were the real problems. And according to Kisame, the two seem to be in cahoots. How_ wonderful_.

Pein wasn't afraid of death. He knew he couldn't die; he even felt himself to be immortal–God-like, even. Being overthrown was just as horrible as death, though. Judging from the actions that Hinata has taken against the Hyuuga clan, she didn't prefer battle. War is her specialty. He had no idea what he did to get on her bad side, but he just _is_.

Killing her would be easy. Yet at the same time, it's difficult. She's in a position where her death would put Pein in a tricky situation. How? A masked idiot, that's how. He wasn't even given a reason for the actions–just a stupid "Because I said so." His position of Akatsuki leader is true pain.

Sasori is the one giving orders to Hinata. She followed orders like the blind girl she is. (Only, she wasn't blind at all. Pein didn't know how to describe Hinata without the words "contradicting" or "bipolar.") The former Sand-nin was quite skilled in war himself, having taken part in the Third Shinobi War. His experience and quick moves swiftly put himself at an advantage while Pein wasn't looking.

Unlike Hinata, Sasori could be killed without consequences. Other than some suspicions that could easily be cast away, there was nothing preventing him from getting rid of the rebellious scorpion. But with Sasori gone, he'd be forced to either let Hinata fill in his spot as Deidara's partner since she's an extra member (That'll cause trouble since Itachi is her guardian, so he'll have to move Kisame with Deidara. He doesn't trust Itachi and Hinata alone together.) or let _someone else_ steal the spot. The thought of letting _someone else_ have the spot made Pein want to commit suicide.

His only option now was to keep a close eye on them via Kisame and Itachi. Kisame was on good terms with Sasori while Itachi was in charge of Hinata. He was quite pleased with the way the teams were set up. Now, all he needed to do now was watch carefully and plot accordingly.

As he reviewed the facts, he wondered why he was so stressed if his next steps were simple. He stopped in his tracks to think about what the hell he was so worried about. Gods, he needed to relax before he worked himself to death. **Konan was right the entire time...**

* * *

><p>When Hinata woke up from her second nap (she went back to sleep after her first), her heart was racing as if she just ran a marathon. Her fears from the past were reawakened just from a single memory. <em>The Chuunin Exams<em>. She was panting and trembling.

Dreams about the past were getting frequent, lately. A month ago, she'd never have any recollection of her dreams. Not that it mattered a month ago. As easy and relieving it would be to run away, she knew she couldn't. _The point of no return... _

And she thought she was already at that point a month ago. Perhaps she was just using that phrase as an excuse for escape. Perhaps she still is.

Itachi was sitting next to Hinata on the bed, their bodies almost touching. His fingers intertwined with Hinata's. She had such icy hands... He squeezed to make sure Hinata knew he was by her side. _And always will be..._

Is that a lie?

She bit her finger to confirm she was awake. Unfortunately, she was. The darkness had a certain dreamlike quality that wanted to make her change her mind. Is she really awake?

If she had the power to choose, she would still be 6 years old, giggling at Neji's forgetfulness and holding_ his_ hand instead of Itachi's. She'd be sleeping with _him_ at night instead of Itachi. Her comfort would've been granted by _his _words instead of Itachi's. Her heart would've belonged to...

Who _does_ it belong to?

Who _did _it belong to?

"Itachi-sama?"

She didn't even know where Itachi was. Something warm was in her hand, though.

"Hmm..."

A few moments passed by before Hinata realized that it was Itachi's hand that was warming her. Heat rose to her cheeks as she pulled her hand away. She clenched her fist. She could still feel his heat.

Her heart was still beating fast. She thought that it would've calmed down by now, but that didn't seem to be the case. It was racing for a different reason. Two reasons, actually: Itachi's breath teasing her neck, and the fact that she's comparing Neji to Itachi and finding similarities. Being curious, she decided to add Naruto into the mix just to torture herself.

Never mind. She didn't want to think about that anymore. She knew she'd end up in depression if she found out something... that she didn't want to know. A connection? A cycle? Some other C word?

She leaned against Itachi, letting her entire body relax. Every annoying thought in her head disappeared. She took in the aroma that could only belong to the Uchiha, letting it take over her senses.

Itachi squeezed her hand harder. His own heart rate was picking up. He wondered if she could hear it. He's never felt this nervous around a girl since his time in Konoha.

It was nice, just simply having her next to him; body heat being exchanged, hearts beating as one. He wouldn't mind if it lasted forever. Subconsciously, he leaned some of his own weight against the blind girl. His eyes closed, completely comfortable with the person next to him.

When Hinata unexpectedly jerked away from him, he almost tipped over. It seemed that the gods minded if it lasted forever. **Skittish... **She was blushing madly, embarrassed by her behavior. Itachi expected no less from Hinata.

She probably didn't trust herself with relationships.

To be honest, neither did he.

* * *

><p>"C-can I help you, Itachi-sama?"<p>

"Are you hungry?"

**Hungry? **Based on how much she knew about him, that was Weasel Language for "Let's go on a date." Hinata felt reluctant to accept. Yugakure is a populous city, with every store and restaurant filled every second of the day. Everyone will be making their own jokes and comments about the couple. Insults will be slung at her out of jealousy. Paranoia and killing intent will be awakened.

_Damn_ her stomach for growling so loud.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The two walked along a paved road littered with dead leaves, maneuvering around (irritating, idiotic, ignorant, etc.) tourists. They wore the autumn yukata provided by their hotel. The sun was a deep, orange-red, dropping down to the horizon in what seemed like seconds. Just as Hidan described, it was easy to tell what the season was from the surroundings.

Whispers... It must be fun to gossip and chat without worry. Just like the teenagers they are. If only they'd grow up. Hinata wished she were deaf instead of blind. Maybe even both. Anything–just _anything_ to get rid of the pesky voices.

There were enough in her head, thank you very much.

"Hinata..." Itachi whispered to Hinata.

Her face reddened at how his warm breath caressed her ear.

"Just relax. Focus only on me."

Although she felt a bit flustered over the words, it calmed her down. Little did she know that Itachi glared at two teenage boys who complimented Hinata's "smackable ass." The comment also made Itachi aware that she _does_ have a "smackable ass." He wrapped his arm around her waist possessively.

"Ne... Itachi-sama... We're like a boyfriend and girlfriend..." she remarked.

She was obviously embarrassed with his actions. Anyone looking at them right now would misunderstand their relationship. Even_ she _was starting to misunderstand their relationship. He former teammates, who were currently stalking them, will surely have similar thoughts.

Her blush became three shades darker. She didn't want the Konoha-nin thinking such things of her. It's incredibly awkward and Kiba might even tease her during their battle. _Oh, so you're still the stuttering, blushing freak you were back then? You really haven't changed at all! _Gods... She hates it when he teases her.

Wait, what the hell? Why is her little cousin with them?

He's not going to take pictures, is he?

**That little paparazzi brat. **She mouthed death threats, hoping that he was reading her lips with his Byakugan. She taught him how to read lips out of boredom, so he should be able to get the message. A Byakugan-user who can read lips is extremely valuable, after all. She wanted to give him value, unlike her weak self.

"May I ask what I did to deserve such punishment?" a confused Itachi questioned.

Hinata almost forgot that Itachi could read lips too. She laughed nervously, wondering what excuse she'll use. He probably thinks she's crazy. But she is crazy, isn't she? Sanity is difficult to hold on to.

"Just the voices, Itachi-sama. Just the voices..."

He was perplexed at first, but brushed it off. Hinata was almost glad that he caught her talking to a lamp. She just hoped that she won't end up having therapy sessions with him instead of training sessions.

* * *

><p>Akito paled after reading his older cousin's lips. Either she was threatening to kill him, or she wants to take him out to dinner. It was obviously the former.<p>

"Ne, ne, Kurenai-san. The sunset is really pretty, right?" he brought up, mostly trying to distract himself.

"Kurenai Yuhi... Crimson evening sun..."

She looked up at the falling sun. Her red lips curved upwards into a smile.

"Yes, it's beautiful," she agreed.

Her red eyes were cast downwards. The green-eyed Hyuuga seemed to be disturbed by something. A look that was troubled and fearful was clearly painted on his face. His voice didn't betray these thoughts, though.

Kurenai couldn't help but surmise that Hinata and Akito were extremely alike. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was just something similar. Their personalities and mannerisms are completely different, but...

"Do you get along with the rest of your clan?" she asked.

Akito was shocked by this question. So shocked, that his Byakugan deactivated. He didn't expect a personal question out of the blue. He immediately grew suspicious.

"Why do you need to know?"

That was the exact response Hinata gave. They look innocent, but they're not naive. They guard themselves well. Still, there was something else about Akito that made her nostalgic of Hinata.

"Just curious. I'm sorry, I don't have the right to ask such a question."

His hands were folded, in a similar fashion as to how Hinata would always poke her fingers together. The two were quite comparable. His black hair even resembled Hinata's, two locks framing his face, although one side had some spikes.

If Kurenai's guessed were right, then Akito must be a crow among doves. He must be bullied for his unique eyes and because he wasn't supposed to be a medic-nin since he's a Hyuuga. Even Sakura gave him some trouble over the matter. Poor child. He doesn't deserve such treatment. **And neither did Hinata...**

"Ah... I lost track of Hinata-sama."

He still calls her "Hinata-sama," she noticed. Most likely a force of habit. He must have spent a lot of time with her if he's used to calling her that.

"She's out of my range," he informed them.

Kiba's eyes widened. **Out of his range? Already? **

"What? What's your range?"

"8 meters."

The distance between them and the Deli Market. Kiba had no idea why he brought him. They'd be better off with just their own eyes.

"What the hell? That's freaking short!" he snapped.

Akito instantly panicked.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the Hyuuga desperately apologized.

He calmed himself down before Shino had to say anything. Unusual, since he only did that when he accidentally yelled at Hinata. Their voices were almost identical. Perhaps it was just because Akito sounded like a girl when he apologized.

"Don't snap at him, Kiba. Because he is a medic-nin, he is more used to having to focus on details and the chakra pathways. He does not concern himself with long ranges on a daily basis because it is not required for him. A great man once said 'Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees–"

A vein pulsed in Kiba's head. He really didn't want to be stuck with just Shino. They _need _Hinata to keep peace.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Let's just find Hinata before the sun rises!"

A menacing aura emitted from the Aburame, who loathes having his sentences interrupted. He formed a hand seal, waiting for a response from the bug he had tag Hinata. There was no form of reply from the insect.

"It seems that Hinata has already sensed the bug and killed it. It is because she is watchful of small details, such as the tiny chakra signature of a–"

"_You care too much about unimportant details!_"

It's going to be difficult not having a peacemaker between the two. Kurenai wondered who Hinata's replacement is going to be. A girl, most likely. Hopefully it won't be a bubbly, annoying idiot that only cared about clothes and boys.

"Are we going to continue spying on them, Kurenai-san?" Akito asked.

She nodded.

"They were bound to figure it out, anyway. They're probably not going to start any conflict, so we'll just see how much they choose to reveal in front of us."

* * *

><p>The two S-rank criminals decided to eat at a sushi restaurant. He picked a good sushi restaurant, too. Unfortunately, it was also popular.<p>

Apparently, Itachi can eat fish because he has no respect for the gilled, scaly sea creatures. Hinata wondered what the grudge against Kisame was.

"They die because they're too stubborn to adapt, holding on to their precious water habitat..." he bitterly commented, stuffing himself with his chopsticks.

Hinata laughed at how comical his hatred for fish was. She could almost imagine him whispering death threats to a goldfish. It was hilarious, especially when he talked about it so seriously, as if it were a life-long enemy.

Her laughter attracted the attention of a nearby waiter–one with bandages over an eye. He perked up, staring surprisingly at the blind girl. He walked over to their table, not believing what he saw.

"Hinata?"

She almost did a spit-take. She was too distracted by Itachi's hatred for fish that she failed to take notice of the chakra signatures around her. Perhaps she could weasel her way out of this...

"Hinata?" he repeated.

He wore a casual green polo shirt and a white apron around his waist, seemingly the uniform for all of the waiters. His bangs covered the bandaged portion of his face. Just as Hinata described, his face was quite handsome.

"Eh? The name's Masami. And this is my husband Satoshi," she responded.

She wasn't fooling anybody with her pathetic lie. It was worth a try.

"You bitch! I thought you were dead!" he nearly yelled at her, relieved and surprised and angry all at the same time.

An accusing finger was pointed at her. The aim was slightly off, mostly because of his act as a half-blind man.

"I even had an entire funeral service for you! I cried, _damn it!_"

She continued eating, persisting that she truly is Masami. The restaurant was filled with din, so he didn't earn much except a strange look from a curious customer in line. Hinata was glad that not many stared and whispered because of the scene.

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Stranger. Satoshi no danna and I are just here on vacation. I'm sorry if I remind you of anybody, but–"

"–Masami, dear. The jig's already up," Itachi intervened.

Hinata sighed. She especially didn't want_ this_ to happen. It was bad enough that Kurenai decided to spy on her.

"Long time no see, Hatori-kun..." she greeted reluctantly.

"I guess we're even now, right?"

He glared, despite knowing that Hinata is blind. He hoped that she could feel his anger bubbling inside of him. **Freaking hypocrite!**

"I should _kill_ you, Hinata," he threatened.

She laughed nervously.

"But you won't?"

He laughed, anger evident in his aura. He poured a generous amount of wasabi onto Hinata's plate, soaking the sushi. **Of course not, dear cousin... **

"Ne, why don't you try some?" she proposed.

She picked up a wasabi-coated Ebi, stuffing it into her angry cousin's mouth. He instantly spat it out, running to the kitchen to chop his tongue off. **Bitch! Bitch! That bitch! **Hinata smiled, pleased with her actions.

"What happened between you two?" Itachi wondered.

"Nothing, nothing..."

* * *

><p>She laughed to herself. Itachi grew even more curious. Her laugh gave away a hint of a bittersweet nostalgia. She waved it off, letting it become a mystery to the Uchiha. Her pink lips were parted in a smirk.<p>

He stuffed a tuna roll into her mouth. Hinata, who was caught off guard, let it sit in her mouth for a while before chewing cautiously. She was obviously confused as to why Itachi suddenly decided to feed her.

"We're going to have to share a plate," he stated.

"I can feed myself, Itachi-sama."

"You half-grab the sushi with your fingers."

Heat rose to her cheeks. She didn't think he was paying attention as to how she ate her sushi. Being blind is difficult. Itachi should know.

"Y-you're the one with the bad aim! It almost ended up all over my chin," she retorted.

Itachi shut her up by feeding her more sushi rolls. Hinata protested by softly kicking him under the table. He shoved more food into her mouth.

* * *

><p>The remnants of Team 8 and Akito were sitting at the table adjacent from Hinata and Itachi. They weren't even trying to conceal themselves anymore, since they've already been caught. Besides, the two Akatsuki members were too occupied to care. Feeding each other, teasing each other, acting like a lovey-dovey...<p>

"I feel like throwing up," Kiba declared.

Shino nodded in silent agreement. Kurenai didn't find it strange at all, since they're comrades. Like if say, Shikamaru and Ino started dating. Itachi and Hinata have a lot in common, after all. What was important to Kurenai, though, was that they were both enjoying themselves.

As their former teacher, she felt happy for them.

* * *

><p>Akito, on the other hand, wasn't focused on the S-rank criminals (although he thought did think the couple was cute). He was more interested in the waiter that rushed to the kitchen. He looked exactly like...<p>

No, it _is_. He even heard Hinata say his name. Why is he still alive, though? He committed suicide 6 years ago. Did he fake it?

Of _course_ he faked it. He even mentioned faking his suicide and moving to Yugakure as the owner of "Nakamura Book Shop" under the fake name Haru years earlier. Akito had no idea he was actually serious about that.

But why are the bandages over his left eye? He lost his right eye. And he definitely does not have black eyes. Transformation Jutsu, maybe...

* * *

><p>Hatori returned to the kitchen, burning with rage. His Sharingan was almost threatening to activate. He took a deep breath to calm himself, resisting the urge to go back to the kitchen and retrieve a butcher's knife.<p>

When he saw Hinata being fed by Itachi, he gaped. **Itachi-kun... and Hinata-chan? **He couldn't believe that she actually managed to get a boyfriend–and _Uchiha Itachi_, no less. His eye scanned Hinata's petite figure. Large breasts (he knew they'd get that big; she's always had a larger bra size than the other girls her age), womanly curves, a pair of stunning legs... She really blossomed into a woman.

He smiled proudly. He felt almost sentimental to the past Hinata, who always shyly stuttered. She was cute, back then, when she was still flat.

It still didn't mean she was off the hook. He'll have his revenge later, though. He didn't want to ruin Hinata's date with Itachi. He was afraid of getting on the Uchiha's bad side, like any other normal person.

* * *

><p>"Ne, Itachi-sama... What's your type?" Hinata asked curiously.<p>

She didn't exactly know much about Itachi. No, she knew almost _nothing_ about Itachi, other than his like for apples and dislike for fish. It seemed that she revealed everything about herself without a fair exchange. If she's going to be on his team, then it'd be good to know more about him.

Her foot was hooked around his ankle. He didn't know if she realized it or not. Based on her question, she seemed to be teasing him. He smirked.

"Guess," he challenged her.

"An experienced, red-eyed, black-haired, busty genjutsu-user?" she supposed.

Shock flowed through the remnants of Team 8 (and Akito) like electricity flowing into a metal pole. The static astonishment almost stung. It was as if a Raikiri pierced through their chests.

It wasn't because Hinata accused Itachi of liking their sensei, although it was the a part of the cause. It was because he was _laughing_.

It was a smooth, velvety, unrestrained laughter that was so rare it was rumored to come once every three blue moons. They had to admit that felt that they didn't deserve to hear it. He was incredibly handsome–beautiful, even–with a happy smile on his face. He was in a pure, joyous state innocent of deception and lies for once.

Another side of Itachi Uchiha was being unveiled right in front of them. It was a more human nature that they saw, deeply contrasting the monster they've come to know. Anyone that saw him at that moment would laugh alongside him, knowing that he possibly couldn't have murdered his own mother.

But he _did_. Yet at that moment, they didn't want to see him as a criminal. They wanted to see him the way he was, the way the rest of the world was in the dark about. Itachi Uchiha had a good side. It just _had_ to be acknowledged when listening to his carefree chuckles.

Kurenai gazed incredulously at Hinata. She was an amazing girl for being able to reawaken this side of Itachi. Slowly, she was unlocking every lock and decoding every code set up to protect his heart. He was well-guarded, but Hinata made him forget about that.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

She didn't even realize what she was doing to him. After Itachi calmed down (it actually took a few minutes before he was fully recovered), he gazed at his date with an honest smile. Shino didn't even know a genjutsu-user could look so truthful. Even their teacher never showed such openness and sincerity.

Itachi couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. Despite every heavy hint he gave her, she assumed that _Kurenai _was his type. She wasn't kidding, either. Hinata can be incredibly dense, sometimes.

Such innocent eyes she had. It wasn't just because she was blind; there was something more than that. Her intelligence level was amazing and she knew very well how to guard herself, but she was so naive and inexperienced about the world of romance. Itachi decided that he wanted to introduce her to that world.

"You're really cute, Hinata."

"And naive..." Shino muttered.

Her blush was even more intense than usual, since her former teammates were right next to her. She wished they at least bothered to attempt to hide their chakra signatures. She deeply wished for them to leave them alone. It was bad enough that Hatori was here.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, <strong>_**shit. **__Hatori_ is here. In the same room as her little green-eyed cousin. That's not a good combination, since Hatori supposedly committed suicide years ago. He probably already figured out that he faked it since he's already seen him and heard Hinata call his name.

Damn it. That bastard spoiled yet _another_ secret.

Hinata sighed. She didn't want Akito to learn the secret in such a heartbreaking way. Nevertheless, it was bound to happen. Weak lies will always shatter. There's no use crying over spilt milk. The milk wasn't even hers. Still, the fragmented glass of milk would inevitably affect her in the long run. Luckily, suicide is always an option. She slouched forward, propping her head on her left arm.

Itachi stared worriedly at the blind girl across from him. He couldn't read her thoughts and erratic mood shifts anymore. She blushes in shy embarrassment, then she suddenly sighs like she's given up on life. Just because he called her cute? There was no way to calculate what she could be possibly mulling over. Too much vital information was missing from the equation.

Her face was extremely expressive, though...

She sighed even louder. Itachi cursed Sasori's influence on the girl. She held her hand up, covering her face from the view of the Leaf-nin. A finger went down as seconds passed, counting down to something. It wasn't a coincidence when Akito suddenly decided that he needs more training with his Gentle Fist.

Itachi only hoped that the Konoha shinobi were the only reason for her unforeseen lack of interest in him. The smile on her face confirmed his wishes. She straightened her back.

"We should probably leave before Hatori-kun decides to get revenge on me. It's surprising that none of our co-workers have interrupted us," Hinata told him.

Itachi nodded. It is shocking that Hidan hasn't given them an unanticipated visit. Itachi felt worried for him, being in his former village. He looks like a carefree person, but he might still be chained down to his past.

Hinata dispelled all concern when she took him by the hand. Her soft yet firm grip was reassuring and comforting. His distant eyes were refocused onto Hinata. Without hesitation, he regained his position as the leader of the two.

* * *

><p>After they left the sushi restaurant, Itachi wanted to bring Hinata somewhere. He refused to confess where they were going. Hinata was almost scared, but decided to trust Itachi anyway. If she ended up getting killed, she didn't think she'd care. If life was a diamond, hers would be worth little. She almost felt like she being overly dramatic, since they were probably just going to a garden or something.<p>

The chakra signatures around her faded away, until it was only her and Itachi. Hinata couldn't sense any form of life nearby. They were deep in the isolated part of the city. She brushed off all negative thoughts, concentrating only on Itachi.

"To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly..." Hinata reminded herself.

Perhaps she is blind, in every sense of the word... Hiashi might've done her a favor by taking her eyesight away. Only now does she see clearly. In vain, since there's nothing for her to see anymore. You can stalk after a light, but it doesn't mean you'll catch it.

"Ignorance is bliss," Itachi responded.

"Bliss is ignorance."

* * *

><p>There was a sound of a bell, like the ones at the doors of stores to alert the manager of a customer. The air was dusty, as if nobody had cleaned in ages. It also had the fragrance of wood and something she couldn't quite define, but she knew it was familiar. It smelt just like... cork grease, maybe? <strong>A music store?<strong>

"You're not going to give me piano lessons, are you?" she asked.

Itachi was impressed that Hinata was able to figure out where they were so quickly. But then again, music stores always have a distinct scent. Itachi led them to a grand piano. It seemed that although the rest of the store looked forlorn, the instruments were well taken care of. He studied the sheet music on piano's fallboard. It was a duet called "_Champagne Fiasco_," composed by someone under the alias "The Sneaky Servant." More commonly known as Hyuuga Hizashi.

"From what I remember, you don't need any."

Silence was plastered into the walls of Itachi's eardrums. It was almost ironic, since they're in a music store. Hinata had a blank expression on her face, hiding away the emotions he knew she was feeling. It was the first time that their past as the offspring of two powerful was spoken of.

Hinata recovered quickly, though, like a true Fujiwara. A smirk was on her face. Her thoughts always made Itachi curious.

"From what I remember, you do."

_One note. _He messed up _one note_. Is that small mistake really going to be held against him for the rest of his life? Fugaku even made him take piano lessons from Kurenai. Everyone overreacted just because the Uchiha prodigy made a tiny mistake. His position as Uchiha heir made it difficult to remember that he was still human.

"Of all things, why do you have to remember_ that?_" he questioned.

"It wasn't just one crooked note. You also barely remembered about the change in key signature, dismissed all of the crescendos and diminuendos, the tempo was about 50 beats too fast, the accidentals were screwed up, and it wasn't legato enough," Hinata explained.

Itachi was impressed with how many mistakes Hinata was able to catch. She was only 6 when she last saw him play piano. Hearing her note his errors also made him realize how horrible he was at piano back then. How lucky he is that the one thing he didn't get naturally is the one thing she did get naturally.

Hinata showed him up that day, playing a piece that was way beyond his level. He remembered thanks to Sasuke's adorable pout. The younger Uchiha didn't have an argument for once. It was clear that Hinata was just better at them at piano. She timidly confessed that it was the only thing she was good at. Sasuke forgave her for that, muttering that her musical skills were to compensate for her fighting skills.

Itachi scolded him harshly for that.

* * *

><p>"I've practiced."<p>

Itachi slid his hand across the keys of the piano to test the piano's sound. It had a strong tone that echoed throughout the desolate store. He started to warm up with a few scales to help him get used to playing the piano again. He hasn't played since a mission with Kisame when he was 19. He hoped that 2 years without practice won't ruin the progress he's accomplished.

He decided to perform the song that he last played. Hinata was surprised that it was energetic and fast-paced. She expected Itachi to be the type that preferred slower, more elegant music. It turns out that not only appearances deceive, but personalities as well. Still, he didn't know that he'd listen to the type of music that a teenager like herself would be more into.

She seriously didn't expect him to play a piano cover of _Lovers_, though. He put a lot of passion and spirit into the song, too. Hinata giggled to herself. She never imagined Itachi to be a passionate person like his younger brother. It made her curious of what else Itachi hides behind his stoic mask. He might even be able to be the thrilling lover that she's always dreamt of. The lyrics ran through her head as he played the song. **Lovers...? If only...**

She didn't hear any mistakes, which brought a smile to her face. He wasn't lying when he said he improved. She clapped for him when he finished.

"You really are amazing, Itachi-sama!" she praised.

One small compliment from her made Itachi proud that he continued living. It didn't have the same effect as the other flattering remarks he's been paid. Her voice was worth all the money in the world to him. He smiled warmly, looking down at the piano keys.

"Thank you..."

* * *

><p>Why is it that in less than a month, she's able to make him feel this way? He killed her mother's friends, yet she doesn't even care. He ruined the one haven available to her when her own home was chaotic. Itachi didn't spoil only Sasuke's childhood–he also spoiled Hinata's. Why does she trust him? She's supposed to think that his personality before was just an act. She should be hating him right now.<p>

"I killed my clan," he stated.

The two fell silent, letting the heavy words sink in. Itachi kept his head down, not wanting to be caught by Hinata's blind gaze. Her eyes were too straightforward and honest for him. The truth was something Itachi frequently cowered from.

Yet Hinata bathed in it, like divine waters that cleansed her and kept her pure. Her sincerity was that of a Goddess'. Even in the mist, it's clear to see that someone as heavenly as her shouldn't be associating with an obscene devil like him.

_Too beautiful to look at..._

"Well, no shit," Hinata finally replied.

The blind girl stood with her arms at her sides. She was the polar opposite of Itachi, entirely nonchalant and indifferent to his statement. She wondered if this was supposed to be news to her. Perhaps it was, but Hinata has always known more than she was supposed to. She'd rather live in a cold hell of truth than a warm heaven of lies.

"Are you okay with that?" he asked.

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><p>Hinata wasn't oblivious to the swirl of conflicting emotions hovering over Itachi's heart. From his voice, she could fathom what thoughts were dancing and prancing around in his genius brain. She experienced the same feelings around Neji to this day.<p>

_I killed your father. _

_Are you okay with that? _

His question brought an interesting point. _Is _she okay with it? This entire time, she's judged him as someone separate from the boy she somewhat knew in the past. Right now, she's being forced to see them as the same person. Hinata bit her lip as she thought this through.

He didn't only ruin lives inside of the Uchiha clan, but outside as well. He was the one that participated in tempting Sasuke out of the village, putting Naruto into a frantic depression. Seeing the usually happy-go-lucky boy she admired fall broke her heart. Watching him suffer _for someone else _was torturous.

Sasuke's betrayal is what degraded Hinata's self-confidence most of all. Naruto ignoring her _for Sasuke, and only Sasuke _topped off the cold glares, bitter excoriations, stinging slaps, and tear-jerking guilt. It reminded her just how worthless she was, how nobody would care if she died, how easily forgotten she was..._ is_... and will be...

But what if he didn't kill his clan? How different would things be? Would it have the same outcome? Is this just destiny?

The last word rang in Hinata's mind. _Destiny. _Even after Neji changed, the memory of the Chuunin Exams never left her mind. The past Neji never stopped whispering malice into her _open, willing, desperate _ears. Sometimes she slipped and actually believed that he was right.

Destiny.

The point of no return.

Similar concepts, aren't they?

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><p><strong>Review. <strong>

**Or. **

**Die.  
><strong>

**PM me any ideas you want to give me, too. I'll mention the username of the person whose idea I use at the top of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed! (You better have enjoyed this. No refunds.)  
><strong>


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